Watch CBS News

Study: Size Of Your Electronic Device Can Affect Behavior

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) - A new study from a couple of Harvard Business School researchers suggests that the size of your electronic device does matter. In fact, smaller devices could actually be wrecking your career and your social life.

Maarten W. Bos and Amy J. C. Cuddy looked at whether the size of your electronic device can dictate assertive behavior.

They randomly assigned participants to use an iPod Touch, an iPad, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer.

During the experiment, they found that participants working on larger devices acted more assertively than those using smaller devices.

The researchers suggested that, in line with past research, this was directly linked to posture. More spread out posture led to more assertiveness. This particular experiment was able to manipulate posture by using the different-sized devices. Larger devices led to more spread-out posture.

"Hunching over our smart phones before a stressful social interaction, like a job interview, may undermine our confidence and performance during that interaction," the study says. "We suggest that some time before going into a meeting, and obviously also during it, you put your cell phone away."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.