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In body language terms, what does it mean when someone talks to you with their arms crossed?

A- Trying to listen positively

B- The person is feeling uncomfortable

C- The person is showing disinterest and trying to block communication

D- None of the above

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Question added by Lana Oudeh , PR Coordinator , Al Ghanem
Date Posted: 2016/11/10
محمد الكردي
by محمد الكردي , Human resources officer , Palirria Jordan LTD

B- The person is feeling uncomfortable

 

Because this is evidence that the person is trying to protect himself

muhammad suleman
by muhammad suleman , Assistant Operations Manager , Emirates Islamic Bank Call center

C- The person is showing disinterest and trying to block communication

Raouf Dannaoui
by Raouf Dannaoui , Hospitality Consultant , Freelance

Hand crossing can be interpreted as both disrespectful and offensive; so answers B & C can apply

Adnan Iqbal
by Adnan Iqbal , Subject Coordinator , KAPLAN BUSINESS SCHOOL (KBS)

Well in different cultures especially Japanese culture it is considered as a negative gesture and mean I don't care what yoy are trying to say. So I believe the answer to your question is C.

hamdan alzyod
by hamdan alzyod , Middle School English Teacher , Ministry Of Education - Jordan

It means he is trying  to protect himself by being invisible ,this show a weakness in his personality. 

Ahmad Salman
by Ahmad Salman , PhD , University Sains Malaysi

c-The person is showing disinterest and trying to block communicationThere are times when someone hears you with attention with his/her arms closed but most of the time, it is mostly because the person is trying to block communication and showing arrogance. 

I think B&C 

Thank you for your invitation

Oleh Kurakov
by Oleh Kurakov , Sr,sevice-engineer/ Parts and Service Representative , Q-FAB

It's answer "C".The person shows the desinterest and want to close contact.

Hossain Al-Nassir
by Hossain Al-Nassir , HR Officer , Bonatti S.p.A company Branch

the answer is B

crossing arms is a protective gesture also it means lack of trust and anxiety.

so yes they are uncomfortable.  

Is this a multiple choice "test" ? are you gauging right responses ? do you have a pre determined answer ?

 

Is this a multiple choice “test” ? And what’s your predetermined answer ?

Q. In body language terms, what does it mean when someone talks to you with their arms crossed?

 

Answer – Option E. On it’s own a single gesture lacks meaningful information.

 

Body language is highly context dependent and idiosyncratic.

Is the room cold ? Does he/she feel cold ? What are they wearing ?

What’s the pitch & pace of their voice ?

Do they speak deliberately ?

How are their feet placed ? and torso ?

What about eye contact ? How is it maintained ?

While the arms are cross how big are their hand gestures ?

Where are they from ? and in what culture did they grow up in ?

 

In Short – How should we know, there’s insufficient information to draw a meaningful conclusion.

 

However if you want the Mickey Mouse Answers: B & C

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