Upon victory, an athlete’s initial and instinctive reaction is one that displays dominance over his or her opponent, according to a new study published today in the journal Motivation and Emotion.
Such body language, known as a “dominance threat display” and labeled as “triumph” in other studies, was observed in winners of Olympic and Paralympic judo matches. It appears to be innate and stems from an evolutionary need to establish order and hierarchy in society, said San Francisco State University Professor of Psychology David Matsumoto. –Science Daily
Fiction Writing Prompt: Write a victory scene paying particular attention to your character’s body language and the internal monologue behind it.
Journaling Prompt: How do you act if you win a contest or competition? What is your body language saying? If you’re not sure, ask your best friend how you act.
Art Prompt: Dominance Threat Display
Non-Fiction / Speechwriting Prompt: Tell as story about the experience of winning.
Photo Credit: San Diego Shooter on Flickr
Prompt #926 Dominance Threat Display was written by Liz Andra Shaw and was originally published at The Writing Reader.
