Interview Prep · True or False
Is it true that placing your hands in your lap is better than crossing your arms tightly?
True. Crossed arms project defensiveness and closed-off energy. Open hands show receptivity.
Closed posture is read as guardedness even when you feel perfectly open, and it is one of the easiest signals to correct deliberately.
Folding arms for comfort or warmth without noticing it reads as resistance to whatever is being discussed.
This scenario is one of 500 in the Skillful Interview Prep track. Each card states a situation, you decide true or false, and the explanation follows immediately.
- Answer
- True
- Track
- Interview Prep
- Topics
- body-language, self-presentation
Also asked as
What should i do with my hands in an interview? Does crossing your arms look defensive? What body language should i avoid in interviews?
The scenario in full
Placing your hands in your lap is better than crossing your arms tightly.
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that placing your hands in your lap is better than crossing your arms tightly?
True. Crossed arms project defensiveness and closed-off energy. Open hands show receptivity.
What should i do with my hands in an interview?
True. Crossed arms project defensiveness and closed-off energy. Open hands show receptivity. Closed posture is read as guardedness even when you feel perfectly open, and it is one of the easiest signals to correct deliberately.
Does crossing your arms look defensive?
True. Crossed arms project defensiveness and closed-off energy. Open hands show receptivity. Closed posture is read as guardedness even when you feel perfectly open, and it is one of the easiest signals to correct deliberately.
What body language should i avoid in interviews?
True. Crossed arms project defensiveness and closed-off energy. Open hands show receptivity. Closed posture is read as guardedness even when you feel perfectly open, and it is one of the easiest signals to correct deliberately.
Where does this interview prep question come from?
It is one of 500 scenarios in the Skillful Interview Prep track. Each card states a realistic situation, you decide true or false, and the explanation follows immediately.
How do I practise more questions like this?
Start the Interview Prep quiz. It runs about two minutes per session, the first 150 questions are free across every category, and your progress saves automatically.