A new study published in the journal Cognition and Emotion has explored the impact of nonverbal displays of pride on judgments of victory in boxing matches. Researchers found that while skill takes precedence when one fighter clearly outmatches the other, displays of pride can sway perceptions of victory in evenly matched fights.
The study sought to determine whether people rely more on nonverbal cues or observed competence when forming judgments about success. To investigate this, the researchers recruited 214 participants from a university campus and public locations in Metro Vancouver, Canada.
Participants viewed 30-second video clips of professional boxing matches between Apochi versus Glanton and Taylor versus Ramirez, selected for the fighters’ similar physical appearances and the presence of nonverbal pride displays at the end of the matches.
Each participant watched two sets of videos: one with evenly matched fighters and another where one fighter had an advantage. In the advantage scenario, the more skilled fighter displayed a neutral posture, while the less-skilled fighter exhibited a pride display. The researchers used screenshots of these postures, labeling the fighters as “Fighter A” and “Fighter B” to avoid bias.
Participants were asked to judge who won the fight and to answer questions related to social influence, such as which fighter they would choose to train with or follow on social media. They also rated the skill of each fighter using a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
In scenarios where two fighters were evenly matched, the study found a notable bias towards the pride-displaying fighter. Approximately 60% of participants judged the pride-displaying fighter as the winner, despite the lack of a clear performance difference between the fighters.
This suggests that nonverbal displays of pride, characterized by raised arms, an erect posture, chest expansion, a raised chin, and a slight smile, can effectively convey an image of success and influence judgments in the absence of other distinguishing factors.
However, the influence of nonverbal pride displays diminished significantly when one fighter shows superior skill. In these uneven matches, participants overwhelmingly judged the more skilled fighter as the winner, with 61% favoring the skilled fighter over the pride-displaying one. This shift indicates that observed competence and skill take precedence over nonverbal cues when there is a clear difference in performance.
Beyond judgments of victory, the study also examined the impact of pride displays on social influence, asking participants which fighter they would prefer to train with, follow on social media, or learn about a product they were selling. In evenly matched fights, pride displays did not significantly impact these social influence measures. However, in uneven matches, the more skilled fighter was consistently favored across these measures.
For instance, 60% of participants chose the more skilled fighter as a preferred trainer, indicating that observed competence significantly enhances social influence. This finding suggests that while pride displays can create an impression of success, tangible skills are more influential in decisions related to social influence.
In summary, while pride displays can sway perceptions in evenly matched fights, observed skill ultimately prevails when one fighter has a clear advantage. These findings underscore the importance of competence in competitive settings and suggest that while nonverbal cues can be influential, they are not a substitute for demonstrated ability.
“The present research contributes to a growing body of work demonstrating that nonverbal pride influences perceptions, but it also points to important limitations,” the researchers concluded. “Although nonverbal pride affects judgements of victory in evenly matched fights when one fighter demonstrates superior skill, the more skilled fighter is judged as winning over the less-skilled proud fighter. The more skilled boxers (rather than prouder ones) also had more social influence.”
The study, “The effects of nonverbal pride and skill on judgements of victory and social influence: a boxing study,” was authored by Jason P. Martens and Lucy Doytchinova.