The Crossing Guard

As the title should has hinted this post will focus on a common but sometimes misread gesture, crossing arms. The most common way this gesture is misread by those that do not know anything about body language is that this person is simply cold. Since she is cold she is crossing her arms to warm herself.

While this is a distinct possibility there is an alternative one as well. She is either defensive or generally something is bothering her. To figure this out lets delve deeper into the gesture of crossing arms.

First of all it is not always indicative that one is being defensive or is upset. It is entirely possible that we cross arms in comfort, especially when waiting or listening to someone speak. However, if you think carefully how often do you find yourself crossing your arms when you are alone at home and nothing is really bothering you?

What I mean by that statement is this. Body language is a very contextual science / art. To explain this, I will create a scenario. Let’s say that we are to make a presentation to a class at a college. You notice that most have their arms uncrossed. Half way through your presentation you make a comment that would normally make people uncomfortable. It is at this time that you may notice some of the people crossing their arms in a sort of tight fashion.

What this could tell us is that the comment made half way through the presentation has indeed made them feel some level of discomfort. Contextually however, the air conditioning right above those students could have started and they just felt chilly.

However notice that them feeling cold doesn’t disprove that they are uncomfortable. In fact one would think that feeling cold is quite uncomfortable. This tells us that crossing arms holds the same meaning; yet it is the outside forces that you must learn to examine on the fly, to properly determine a person’s gesture.

As for this lady in the picture; lets take a crack at reading her. Obviously crossed arms, she is holding two bags and the look on her face isn’t that of happiness. She is wearing two layers of clothing, which means it could be chilly outside.

If I were to “hazard” a guess however, I believe that she is waiting for someone.

For the Animators: The fact of context alone should help you in any animation. Think about what situation a character is in, what they are feeling at the moment. If they are waiting, listening to a speaker, or feeling uncomfortable then crossing their arms may be the right way to go. 

Reference(s): Yourdon, E. (2008). Lost in thought [photograph]. Retrieved December 2nd, 2010 from:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/2715602306/