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

Chapter 5: Talking with Your Hands
93
A guarded or
hostile gesture
“I’m holding on to something, and I’m not going to open
up to you.”
In negotiations a person about to make a sincere disclosure
usually has both hands on the table and gestures as she
speaks. Someone who is not going to be so forthright usually
keeps her hands hidden under the table or close to her
body. And watch for the person who, when asked a question,
clenches her hands or turns her palms down. Chances are it’s
a sign of defensiveness and withdrawal.
I once asked a colleague how he was getting along with
his new boss. “Oh, she’s great,” he replied, as he placed his
hands in his pockets and immediately changed the subject. I
found out several days later that he and his boss were having
problems and that he was actively looking for another job.
Keeping their hands in their pockets is also a favorite
ploy of men who don’t want to participate in a conversation.
Because hands do a lot of the communicating, putting them
away sends the signal “I’m not going to say a word.”