Sitting up straight may improve your mood and decision-making
Researchers at McGill University found that sitting upright can positively influence mood and improve decision-making in risk-reward tasks. The study suggests that physical posture has a subtle but measurable impact on cognitive and emotional states.
Why it matters
Understanding the mind-body connection could lead to simple, non-invasive interventions for improving mental well-being and productivity.
A person's posture may subtly affect both emotional state and decision-making, according to new research from McGill University. In a laboratory study, participants who sat upright reported more positive feelings and performed better during a task involving risk and reward than participants who slouched or sat in the control condition.
The effects were relatively small and were observed under controlled conditions. Still, the findings offer new evidence that physical position can influence mood and behavior, said Jorge Armony, a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at McGill and the study's senior author.
Researchers Changed Posture Without Revealing the Study's Goal
Armony worked with graduate student Soren Wainio-Theberge, who developed the original idea for the research and coauthored the paper. The team recruited nearly 200 people from the McGill community.
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