The Effects of High Power and Low Power Posing on Students’ Pain Threshold

Research has shown that social power affects information processing in many ways and can induce powerful movements or gestures. This study aimed to investigate the effect of pretending power gestures on changing the pain threshold of a group of female students.

The method of the present study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all female students of Arak University in the academic year 2016-2017, from which 60 people selected by convenience sampling method, and randomly divided into three groups: high power posing (sitting on a chair and putting your feet on the table, placing your hands behind your head and holding your head up), low power posing (sitting on a chair with your legs together, arms between your legs and bending your head to bottom) and control. Rosenberg self-esteem scale and tourniquet technique with cuff pressure gauge (to measure pain threshold) used to collect data. After the pre-test measurements and two minutes of gestures, the post-test was performed immediately. Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance.
Ethical Considerations: This study was approved by the ethics committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1399.276).

 The results showed that pretending high/low power gesture significantly affects pain threshold; pretending to have a high-power gesture increases the pain threshold, and pretending to have a low-power gesture lowers the pain threshold.

Based on the results, using power gestures as a simple tool in pain situations is recommended for pain management or as a supplement to analgesics.