The team began by examining testosterone and cortisol levels in participants prior to beginning the experiment. Testosterone is a hormone signaling dominance while cortisol is an indicator of stress. The experiment hoped to find fluctuations in the levels of these hormones after performing certain posing exercises intended to either increase or decrease one’s perception of power.

One group engaged in what were called high-powered poses, while the other performed what were deemed low-power poses. Cuddy and Carney’s findings show that there was a fluctuation in hormone levels indicating dominance when participants were asked to pose in a high-powered fashion. Cuddy and Carney are not interested so much in making power-posers even more powerful but rather the team wants to know if engaging in these exercises can help those people who have perceptions of lower-power or status to participate, whether it be in class, group meetings, or job interviews. Power-posing to improve performance in these various venues may give participants lacking in power or status the ability to function beyond their actual position and would hopefully lead to improved job interview performance, class participation, and overall success in matters requiring authority and confidence.