Arm crossing in achievement contexts increases persistence and cognitive performance

Researchers at the University of Rochester asked college undergraduates to complete a series of anagrams (rearranging letters to make words). Some participants did so while keeping their arms were crossed the majority of the time, uncrossing them only to type their answers at the computer keyboard, and other participants did so while  keeping their arms down by their thighs. Following the task they rated their mood as well as the degree to which they felt tense/relaxed. They found that participants in the arms-crossed condition continued working on the anagram task longer than did those in the arms-on-thigh condition. Not only that, participants with crossed arms also performed significantly better, coming up with a greater number of correct solutions than those who kept their arms by their thighs.

While previous research had shown that proprioceptive cues can influence affect, attitudes, evaluations and cognitive processing, this study was the first to demonstrate that proprioceptive cues can influence actual behaviors. Specifically, they found that within an achievement context, arm-crossing can lead to considerably enhanced persistence and performance at a cognitive task.

Friedman, R., & Elliot, A. J. (2008). The effect of arm crossing on persistence and performance. European Journal of Social Psychology, 38(3).

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