120 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING
negative consequences—both short-lived and long-term—and the result-
ing battles can range from small to great. Territorial disputes encompass
everything from a turf issue on a crowded subway to the war fought be-
tween Argentina and Britain over the Falkland Islands (Knapp & Hall,
2002, 157–159). Now, here I sit, months after that flight to Calgary, and as
I edit this chapter, I can still sense the discomfort I felt when my seatmate
hogged the armrest. Clearly, territorial displays are significant to us, and
our arms help assert our dominance to others with whom we overlap in
space.
Notice how confident or high-status individuals will claim more ter-
ritory with their arms than less confident, lower-status persons. A domi-
nant man, for example, may drape his arm around a chair to let everyone
know that this is his domain or, on a first date, might confidently throw
an arm over a woman’s shoulder as though she were his property. Fur-
ther, with regard to “table manners,” be aware that higher-status indi-
viduals will usually claim as much territory as possible immediately upon
sitting down, spreading their arms or their objects (briefcase, purse, pa-
pers) on the table. If you are new to an organization, watch for those in-
dividuals who either use their personal material (notebooks, calendars)
or their arms to claim a larger piece of real estate than most. Even at the
conference table, real estate is equated with power and status; so be ob-
servant for this nonverbal behavior and use it to assess an individual’s
real or perceived status. Alternatively, the person who sits at the confer-
ence table with his elbows against his waist and arms draped between his
legs sends a message of weakness and low confidence.
Arms AkimboOne territorial behavior used to assert dominance and project an image
of authority is known as arms akimbo. This nonverbal behavior involves
a person extending both arms out in a V pattern with the hands placed
(thumbs backward) on the hips. Watch police officers or military person-
nel in uniform when they are talking to each other. They almost always
assume the arms-akimbo posture. Although this is part of their authori-