Social Cognition, Presentation In Ted Talk, Amy Cuddy

Social Cognition
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Social Cognition
Question 1
In her presentation in TED Talk, Amy Cuddy talks about the non-verbal expression of power. Cuddy informs the audience that anyone can change not only how others perceive them, but also how they feel about themselves. When one spends just two minutes “power posing” with their posture expansive, their chin lifted, and their elbows or arms out, it can change how one perceives himself or herself. One will feel more powerful with these power poses as they increase the levels of testosterone and reduce levels of cortisol. Out of the five core social motives by Fiske (2010), I think “enhancing self” best explains the effects of power posing as presented by Cuddy in the TED talk video podcast.
According to Fiske (2010), people hope that others will perceive them as socially worthy. Human beings want to be lovable and feel good about themselves. Given that there is the possibility of self-improvement, people can work towards becoming better versions of themselves in order to be perceived as socially worthy and feel good about themselves. As informed by Fiske (2010), individuals that feel good about themselves are more productive, useful around others, motivated, happier, and enjoyable to be around. On the other hand, if one is excluded from social settings, they are likely to act in irresponsible ways. Therefore, when we “self-enhance”, we are likely to function effectively in social groups.
“Enhancing self” best explains the effects of power posing in that one’s body language can determine how one is perceived by others and also how one perceives oneself. In the video podcast, Cuddy informs the audience that it is possible for one to change how others perceive one by adopting the power poses. According to Cuddy, adopting a power pose for just two minutes can increase the testosterone levels by 20%. With higher levels of testosterone, one is likely to feel more powerful and can thus excel in social situations. One of the examples given Cuddy in the presentation is during interviews. One’s pose before the interview can determine the outcome. Therefore, “enhancing self” best explains the effect of the power posing. One is likely to feel more power after power posing and this translates to better handling of social situations.
Question 2
I completed the Personal Need for Structure (PNS) scale and I had a score of 31 (McShane & Glinow, n.d.). According to the interpretation of the results, my score was below average. People with above –average score, need to “make sense” of things around them quickly. I am the opposite of this because I exhibit a lower need for structure. An example given in the interpretation is that people that have a strong personal need for closure are likely to form first impressions, rely on stereotyping, and fill out missing pieces. It is thus deducible that one’s PNS determines how one interacts with other people and the environment.
I agree with Fiske that the motive to be decisive encourages automatic processes and it inhibits controlled processes for making sense of the situation...