Is Your Body Language Closed or Open?

A closed body posture includes sitting hunched over or standing with arms crossed rather than sitting or standing up straight and having the arms more open. According to a recent study, people who were rated as having a more closed body posture “had higher levels of stress hormones and said they felt less powerful than those who had a more open pose.”

(a) What are the variables in this study? Is each variable categorical or quantitative? Assume participants had body language rated on a numerical scale from low values representing more closed to larger values representing more open. Assume also that participants were rated on a numerical scale indicating whether each felt less powerful (low values) or more powerful (higher values).

(b) Do the results of the study indicate a positive or negative relationship between the body language scores and levels of stress hormones? Would your answer be different if the scale had been reversed for the body language scores?

(c) Do the results of the study indicate a positive or negative relationship between the body language scores and the scores on the feelings of power? Would your answer be different if both scales were reversed? Would your answer be different if only one of the scales had been reversed?