A person’s posture appears to affect their emotions and decision-making ability more than they realize, according to new research from McGill University. In a recent study, participants sitting upright performed better at a risk-taking task and reported more positive feelings than did their peers in the slouching or control groups.

Though the effects were modest and observed in a laboratory setting, the results highlight the body’s influence on our mood and behaviour, said Jorge Armony, professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at McGill and senior author of the study.

A cover story to influence body position

Armony and graduate student Soren Wainio-Theberge, who originated the idea for the research and is a co-author of the paper, recruited nearly 200 participants from the McGill community.