Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40534239›Full record

Trial reportBrain and behavior2025

The Power of Posing: Do Body Display Instructions Have an Impact on Behavior in Daily Life?

Mai Bjørnskov Mikkelsen, Emma Elkjær, Douglas S Mennin, Johannes Michalak, Mia S O'Toole

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Mai Bjørnskov MikkelsenDepartment of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9730-913X
Emma ElkjærDepartment of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Douglas S MenninDepartment of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Johannes MichalakDepartment of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
Mia S O'TooleDepartment of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9155-8426

Funding

Velux Fonden 26647
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe present study investigated the effects of expansive and contractive body display instructions on adaptive behavior and affect within the context of personally relevant behavioral goals set in daily life. The moderating effects of motivational traits and symptoms of psychopathology were explored.

methodsA sample of 127 adults identified personally relevant and challenging actions they wanted to take during each week for 12 consecutive weeks. Before taking action, participants were randomly assigned to listen to instructions for one of four body manipulations: (1) expansive, (2) contractive, (3) neutral, or (4) active control (i.e., walking in place). The behavioral outcome was the extent to which participants took the wanted action, and the affective outcomes were emotions, action tendencies, and appraisals.

resultsThe results showed no effect of body displays on behavior (d = 0.06) nor affect (ds = 0.02-0.06). Neither motivational traits nor symptoms of psychopathology moderated the effects of body displays on behavior and affect. Changes in action tendencies (i.e., avoid reward, approach reward) and appraisals (i.e., appraised difficulty, importance, and self-efficacy) predicted taking action as planned.

conclusionThe results indicate that the body display instructions under investigation did not have an effect on taking action or associated affect. Such findings are more consistent with theories suggesting variability in the association between the motor system, emotions, and behavior across contexts than theories suggesting invariant associations. Future research may investigate individualized body displays and whether the effects of body manipulations vary systematically with features of the context.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PsychologicalMotivationActivities of Daily LivingAdolescentAdultAffectEmotionsFemaleGoalsHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung Adultaction tendenciesbody displaysemotionspower posing

Identifiers

PMID40534239
PMCPMC12177200

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.