The first time Amy Cuddy, a business professor at Harvard University, saw her husband was on Facebook. She noticed his profile picture since he was at an event in New York City, because he was in her words "in the most extreme 'power pose' imaginable". Cuddy is the one who termed the phrase "power pose" in the first place during a TED Talk in 2012. It refers to a posture that can help people more confident and powerful.

Speed Dating Experiment: Power Pose Study

An experimente was carried out by researchers at Princeton University in order to see the effects that body language had when it came to speed dating. Researchers recorded 144 "speed dates" in order to take a look at how the participants acted, whether they remained still or moved around and motioned with their arms and hands a lot. After the event, everyone was asked whether or not they’d be interested in meeting that person again.

Overall, many of the participants stated that they would be interested in meeting their partners again. The overall majority of “attractive” individuals were those who motioned a lot more, rather than those who sat still. It appears that open and active body language conveys a "sense of power" and confidence.

What Does This Mean for Your Dating Profile?

While such poses in dating profile pics may seem a little arrogant, it is believed that many people find such poses attractive even on a subconscious level. Amy Cuddy states that she originally thought her future husband was a "jerk", but her second thought was that he had a sense of humor. Indeed, you don’t have to try and come off as arrogant. Simply appear more open and friendly!