Nonverbal communication: use the Wonder Woman effect!

The effect of body language. Body language is everywhere. But what is fascinating about it is not its effect on others—it is the effect our nonverbal communication has on ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy offers an interesting perspective. Her research focuses not on the effect on others, but on the effect our body language has on ourselves.

Chest out, stomach in: the Wonder Woman pose

For her research, Cuddy chose a very particular posture: the Wonder Woman pose! It always reminds me a little of a determined soldier or policewoman. It is very easy to try. Simply stand up and pay attention to the following:

• Body tension
• Stand upright
• Look straight ahead openly
• Take a broad stance: legs, shoulders, arms

Nothing should hang limply. This posture depends on tension right to your fingertips, yet it is very easy to adopt. Amy Cuddy asked her participants to stand firmly for 1 minute before testing their feelings of power and assertiveness. The effect: greater persuasiveness! Her findings seemed to show that this pose makes us more confident: more testosterone is released and our stress hormones decrease. This happens even when others do not see us in the pose, only afterwards.

The downside: criticism of Amy Cuddy’s research

But wait: Cuddy’s results are fascinating, yet the hormone findings cannot be replicated. Other studies could not confirm this effect, which is important for a study’s scientific validity. Cuddy was then publicly criticised —some would say publicly shamed. But the demonstrated effect of power poses on self-perception and emotions seems to withstand criticism and continues to be studied. It is precisely this psychological effect of our bodies on ourselves that fascinates me, even if we remove hormones from the equation. That is why I occasionally use the power pose when discussing nonverbal communication in my rhetoric seminars (I will explain how shortly). I have noticed that many people are initially reluctant to adopt this pose!

Nonverbal communication: hidden outward signals

Why is that? It is simple: we sense the nonverbal communication involved. And the language of this posture is quite clear: it is about dominance and status, about asserting our own ideas, even against resistance if necessary. That is why many people initially find it unfamiliar. It conveys the opposite of harmony and consideration. Some people use it very deliberately. Think about it: you surely know it from security staff outside clubs and police officers in stadiums. Wherever threatening situations may arise, strong body language can show others: Don’t even try—I am not a victim! What is being used here is called high-status communication. It can of course be used to ward off threatened violence which is also recommended by the police . In a milder form, it helps us every day: against brazen negotiating tricks such as nasty questions and provocations, against queue-jumpers at the supermarket, or in rejecting unwanted flirting. The aim is not outward aggression, but nonverbal communication that shows you are grounded and not easily thrown off balance.

Your signal: I am strong!

I have found that women in particular are unaccustomed to “squaring up” so dominantly in front of others. They quickly feel uncomfortable in this pose full of power and energy. But the greater the discomfort, the more you can learn from the posture. That is precisely what my seminars are about: expanding your range of action by playfully trying new things in a protected setting. The suggestion of power and strength in the Wonder Woman pose can help:

Allow yourself to be full of energy for a change!

We are using our psychology: if I know myself in a position of strength and high status, even if I have only tried it playfully, I can draw on that feeling in other situations too. For example, when I want to stand up for my opinion in discussions and others keep trying to interrupt me, or during a product presentation to a client who always looks sceptical. You can surely think of many other situations where a little more energy and confidence would help! Amy Cuddy gives us an important prompt: our body thinks with us. Even if we make ourselves big when alone, the effect on our emotional world is real. My tip: use this playfully to expand the range of your own actions. Have the courage to embrace your strength. So get going:

Be Wonder Women!

If you want to work actively on nonverbal communication, I recommend training in self-presentation or Coaching where you can deliberately discover your inner strength through powerful rhetoric. And if you want to strengthen your position in a dispute while keeping others on board, then conflict management coaching is just right for you. Enjoy reading? Then take a look at the career tips I shared in the Breuninger interview. Or simply write to me with the questions I should answer on the blog, what you are struggling with or where the Wonder Woman pose has already helped you—I look forward to hearing from you! Get advice now