Opening the mind through the body: The effects of posture on creative processes

Body movements and gestures have been found to influence the generation of novel ideas, however, whether posture does, has not yet been investigated. Two studies were conducted in order to assess whether open vs. closed body postures influenced creative thinking. In Study 1, the participants completed two creative tasks when assuming an open or a closed posture, whereas in Study 2 the participants completed creative and logic tasks assuming the same postures. Comfort and physiological indexes, as well as electromyograms were recorded. The scores that were obtained in the creative tasks were significantly higher for those participants who performed the tasks in the open posture rather than in the closed posture. The comfort and physiological indexes were not affected by posture. The data supported the notion that posture modulates a performance in creative tasks, thus facilitating the production of innovative ideas when subjects embody a posture that metaphorically suggests an adoption of a broader mental framework.