Why do we admire, envy, or disparage certain social groups and people? Why hire Kurt instead of Kyra? How do students choose study partners? "Within less than a second, using facial features, people make what are called 'spontaneous trait inferences,'" says social psychologist Amy Cuddy. Through investigating perceptions of warmth and competence, Cuddy explains how men and women rise to the top- or fall by the wayside- in school and at work. Her latest research connects poses to the endocrine system, showing the links between stances, gestures, and hormones. And it relates to some surprising findings about how venture capitalists decide where to make their high-risk investments.
