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Amy CuddyAmerican social psychologist
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Amy Cuddy: American Social Psychologist
- Early Life and Education
- Career
- Research and Contributions
- Influence of Body Language
- Public Speaking and Recognition
Amy Cuddy: American Social Psychologist
Amy Joy Cuddy, born in 1972, is an American social psychologist who gained recognition for her research on stereotypes and discrimination, emotions and nonverbal behavior, as well as the effects of social stimuli on hormonal levels. She believes that a simple change in posture can create a confident image of oneself. How much do our gestures and facial expressions influence how others perceive us?
Early Life and Education
Cuddy grew up in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, a small town of Dutch Pennsylvanians. She became a classical ballerina and worked as a roller-skating waitress while studying at the University of Colorado Boulder. During her sophomore year, she suffered a severe head injury in a car accident, and doctors believed she might not be able to continue her education and earn a bachelor's degree. Despite the prognosis, Cuddy obtained a Ph.D. in social psychology from Princeton University, a master's degree in social psychology from the same institution, and a bachelor's degree in social psychology from the University of Colorado.
Career
Cuddy is an adjunct professor of business administration in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School. Prior to this, she was an assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she taught leadership programs for business administration students and research methods for doctoral students. She also served as an assistant professor of psychology at Rutgers University, where she taught undergraduate courses in social psychology.
Research and Contributions
Together with Susan Fiske and Peter Glick, Cuddy developed a psychological theory known as the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and a map of behavior based on intergroup influence and stereotypes, known as the BIAS Map. The latter illustrates how stereotypes and emotions influence behavioral tendencies. Cuddy investigates the roots and consequences of how individuals form opinions about others and how people influence each other. She has conducted experimental and correlational studies on stereotypes and discrimination towards various groups, including Asian Americans, elderly individuals, Latino Americans, and working mothers. Cuddy has also studied the causes and consequences of ambivalent feelings, such as envy and pity, nonverbal behavior, and hormonal reactions to social stimuli.
Influence of Body Language
Collaborating with Dana Carney from the University of California, Berkeley, Cuddy's research focuses on the impact of nonverbal expressions of power, such as relaxed or open body postures, on emotions, behavior, and even hormonal levels. Their studies have shown that body language shapes our identity. By adopting a powerful posture, such as expressing strength and dominance, testosterone levels increase, cortisol levels (the stress hormone) decrease, and there is an increased desire to act more boldly and present oneself in a better light during interviews. As David Brooks summarized, "If you act cool, you'll start to think cool." Cuddy suggests that our gestures and facial expressions influence how others think and feel about us. By effectively using body language, one can enhance mutual understanding with others and even affect how individuals feel when in close proximity.
Public Speaking and Recognition
Cuddy's talk on this topic at a TED conference led to her invitation to speak at TEDGlobal 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The video recording of her presentation, available since October 2012, has been viewed over 19 million times, placing Cuddy second among the most viewed TED speakers. She was also named first on Time magazine's list of "Game Changers: Innovators and Creative Minds Inspiring Change in America." Cuddy often expresses her love for live music and has admitted to following the rock band Grateful Dead during their concert tours. She is a mother to one son.
