(Bk Business) Carol Kinsey Goman Ph.D.-The Nonverbal Advantage_ Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work -Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2008)

92 The Nonverbal Advantage
The open gestures of candor
Open Palms
When law enforcement officers are trained in interrogation
techniques, they are taught that one of the key places to look
for honesty is the palms of the hands. It is very difficult for
most of us to lie with the palms of our hands exposed. When
being truthful or forthcoming, people tend to use open gestures,
showing their palms and wrists and spreading hands
and arms away from their bodies, as if saying, “See, I have
nothing to hide.”
Closed Hands
When someone is being deceitful or guarded, he tends to
use hand and arm gestures less than usual. If he’s sitting, he
may keep his hands on his lap. If he’s standing, he may keep
them by his side, stuff them in his pockets, clutch an object
tightly, or clench his fists. His gestures all seem to be saying,