Remember being told those things by your mother or teacher? Well, according to new research from the US, they were doing more than just looking out for your back. Psychologists suggest that maintaining an upright posture can make us think more confidently.
Researchers at Ohio State University conducted an experiment asking subjects to either sit or slump over their desks and then write three positive or negative personal traits relating to their careers, the UK’s Daily Mail reported.
The subjects then completed a survey in which they were asked to rate themselves about their futures as professionals. The results showed that those who sat in the upright position were more likely to answer the survey closely in line with their original statements. This led psychologists to the conclusion that sitting up straight reinforces positive thoughts.
“It turns out that our posture can also affect how we think about ourselves,” co-author of the study, Professor Richard Petty said. “Sitting up straight is something you can train yourself to do, and it has psychological benefits.”
However, an earlier Canadian and Scottish study found that sitting up straight is not good for your back, the BBC reported in 2006.
Conducting their research at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland, the researchers found that sitting up straight strains your back unnecessarily and that ideally, we should lean slightly back, at an angle of about 135 degrees.
Your say: Do you sit up straight at your desk? Do you have any tips to stay sitting straight at your desk? Which position is the most comfortable for you? Tell us what you think.
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