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Does power posing boost confidence hormones?

NoParrot Fact Check · September 7, 2026

Fact-checked by NoParrot's 4-model methodology · Last verified September 7, 2026

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33

NoParrot Score

Mixed signals

Claim breakdown

Verified
0
Uncertain
3
Disputed
0

Synthesis

No, power posing does not boost confidence hormones. Larger follow-up studies consistently failed to replicate the hormone effects, such as changes in testosterone and cortisol, that were initially reported in the original 2010 study.

The original findings from the 2010 study are now considered unreliable, with later meta-analyses confirming the absence of reliable changes in these hormonal markers. Dana Carney, the original lead author, publicly disavowed the study's findings, stating she no longer believed the effects were real and citing methodological problems. This episode has since become a prominent example within the replication crisis in psychology.

Any reported increase in confidence from power posing appears to be limited to placebo or expectation effects rather than physiological shifts. While adopting an open, upright posture can modestly affect mood or make some individuals appear more confident to others, these are not related to hormonal changes. Even co-author Amy Cuddy has acknowledged that the hormonal and risk-tolerance claims from the 2010 study do not hold up, though she maintains that a felt-sense-of-power effect persists.

What each model said

  • Gemini ✓ 1 ⚠ 1
    No, the scientific evidence does not consistently support the claim that power posing boosts confidence hormones like testosterone or reduces stress hormones like cortisol. While initial studies suggested such effects, subsequent larger-scale replication attempts have largely failed to reproduce these hormonal changes.
  • Grok ✓ 1 ⚠ 3
    No, power posing does not boost confidence hormones. The 2010 study claiming expansive poses raise testosterone and lower cortisol failed replication in a 2015 study by Ranehill et al., which found no hormonal effects, and later meta-analyses confirmed the absence of reliable changes in these markers. Any reported increase in confidence appears limited to placebo or expectation effects rather than physiological shifts. Current evidence shows power posing has no meaningful impact on hormone levels or behavior beyond what simple posture adjustments provide.
  • GPT ✓ 1 ⚠ 2
    No. The claim that “power posing” reliably boosts confidence hormones like testosterone or lowers cortisol is not supported by strong evidence. The original 2010 study reported that expansive poses increased testosterone, reduced cortisol, and increased risk-taking. But larger follow-up studies failed to replicate the hormone effects, and the original findings are now considered unreliable. What may still be true: adopting an open, upright posture can make some people feel slightly more confident or appear more confident to others. But it should not be treated as a proven hormonal “hack.” A be…
  • Claude ✓ 1 ⚠ 5
    No, the claim that power posing boosts confidence hormones is not supported by reliable evidence. The original 2010 study by Dana Carney, Amy Cuddy, and Andy Yap claimed that adopting expansive "power poses" for two minutes raised testosterone, lowered cortisol, and increased risk tolerance. However, subsequent attempts to replicate these findings failed. A 2015 replication study with a much larger sample (around 200 participants, versus 42 in the original) found no hormonal effects from power posing. Notably, Dana Carney, the original lead author, later publicly disavowed the findings, statin…

Models Used

  • Gemini
  • Grok
  • GPT
  • Claude

Disclaimer: This page summarizes the output of 4 frontier large-language models at a single point in time. NoParrot Score reflects cross-model consensus, not absolute truth. Models can be wrong, and consensus can be wrong with them. Treat this page as a research aid, not a final verdict.

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