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Better Posture Isn’t Just Linked to Less Pain. It Also Changes How People Made Decisions
Jelinda Montes
~3 minutes

A McGill University study found that sitting upright improved mood and helped participants take more rewarding risks. The findings may have implications for workplace design.

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Slouching and hunching over have obvious adverse health outcomes like neck and upper back pain, headaches and even heartburn, constipation and incontinence. But does it also affect our mood?

A new study, out of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, found that good posture can positively influence mood and healthy risk-taking behavior. Using environmental constraints like placement of a tablet on an upright stand or flat on a desk, participants unknowingly adjusted their posture. They then took various tests including mood assessments and a risk taking game. Those sitting with better, upright posture were more likely to take risks in the game and win more rewards than the slouching and control groups.

Nearly 200 participants were included in the study, and, for more precise results, the researchers measured participant’s neck angles through videos to accurately determine the individuals’ posture.

By not telling the participants that posture was being measured or instructing them to sit in a certain way, the psychologists could evaluate the effects of their position without the subjects accidentally biasing their behavior.

“Our results suggest that aside from deliberate ‘power posing’, incidental factors which affect posture in the real world (e.g., standing desks or ergonomic setups) may have impacts on individuals’ behaviour,” the study stated.

Power posing is the purposeful act of standing straight, usually with your hands on your hips in a superhero pose, in order to improve confidence. Some believe that these purposeful movements and posture adjustments have positive impacts on confidence and mood. But this study wanted to go beyond that by examining the effects of unintentional posture changes to better evaluate the impact of the movement itself instead of the mindset.

Considering the McGill study’s effects, workplaces might consider implementing office furniture and set-ups that encourage improved posture in order to improve employee mood and overall performance.

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