The Definitive Book of Body LanguageThe Ankle LockThe male version of the Ankle Lock is often combined with
clenched fists resting on the knees or with the hands tightly
gripping the arms of the chair and a seated Crotch Display (see
below). The female version varies slightly: the knees are held
together, the feet may be to one side and the hands rest side by
side or one on top of the other resting on the upper legs.The Ankle Lock: A woman minimising her leg space
and a man taking up more spaceOver three decades of interviewing and selling to people, we
have noted that when an interviewee locks his ankles, he is
mentally 'biting his lip'. The gesture shows that he is holding
back a negative emotion, uncertainty or fear. The feet are
usually withdrawn under the chair, showing that the person
also has a withdrawn attitude. When people are involved in a
conversation, they also put their feet into the conversation.
Our work with lawyers showed that defendants who sat
outside the courtroom just prior to a hearing were three times
more likely than the plaintiffs to have their ankles tightly
locked under their chairs as they tried to control their emo-
tional state. Our study of 319 dental patients showed that 88 %