1. Would power posing (adopting a powerful stature) really boost your confidence at a meeting? A) Yes, that’s well-proven B) No. It’s a myth C) The jury’s still debating

C) The jury’s still debating. Some researchers have not found any boost in confidence after power poses. Others, including Amy Cuddy who did the original research and popular TED talk, have published another study they believe supplies clear evidence that people do feel more confident. They say, ‘even transient feelings of power can have long-lasting consequences for people’s lives'.

Even that study is challenged by the most recent papers. We’ll keep waiting for the jurors to stop arguing. In the meantime, if power poses work for you, keep doing them.

2. Are babies born with the ability to imitate?

No. Even the psychology text books of the 1970s asserted that babies were born imitators, but a more thorough investigation shows that imitation is something babies have to learn.

3. Why do people find it difficult to look us in the eye while talking?

It could be for cultural reasons, or lack of confidence, but a recent Japanese study showed that eye contact is so mentally stimulating that it’s difficult to think clearly.

4. If you asked a group of toddlers to take the ‘marshmallow test’ would they all grab the marshmellows?

No. A recent study involving 134 kids showed that slightly more than half of those aged just 24 months could resist temptation for 90 seconds to earn a treat. Almost a quarter of kids aged 18 months were able to do the same.

It might seem a trivial issue, but the original marshmallow experiment showed long-term advantages for four year-olds who could resist temptation – including more academic success and better relationships as young adults.

5. Allowing for changing tastes, how would most people think about teenagers who swear in casual conversation?   A) As more relaxed than those who don’t swear   B) As more mature   C) As less trustworthy

C) As less trustworthy. Add to that less intelligent, less likeable and more aggressive. A recent study reported in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology showed that even people who say they don’t find swearing offensive, use it to judge others.

 

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