The Ultimate Body Language Book

Chapter 11 - Emotional Body Language
Blocking Behaviour
An arm cups a drink and draws in in closer while forming a shield as protection.
Blocking is a term used to describe when a person wishes to distance themselves from a distressing
stimulus. Blocking is a part of the fight or flight response, and takes the form of the flight element
because it creates distance between things we wish to avoid.
“Eye blocking” happens by covering the eyes either wholly or in part. When viewing disturbing images
on the movie screen or even in real life, people will bring both hands up to cover their eyes or will
bring them to the sides of their eyes like the blinders used on horses to keep them from being
distracted. However, in this case the blinders are a nonverbal signal meant to cut something off from
view instead of driving focus on them. What is being said is “Oh my dear, I can’t believe what I’m
seeing.” Eye blocking is not just limited to things seen, it can be the results of hearing undesirable
things as well. Blocking can be abbreviated as when one or both hands come up to rub the eyes, or
seem to pinch the eyes from corner to center with just one hand. Other times, the hand comes up and
covers the eyes in part, with a partly clustered set of fingers so that view isn’t entirely obstructed. This
might appear as though the person is thinking, but no thought is going, just a desire to look away.
Blocking can be done by briefly touching one eye with the index and middle finger in response to
hearing something negative, by closing the eyelids for a longer than normal duration or more
dramatically by closing them tightly in response to hearing some particularly distasteful. Blocking can
also be done with books, articles of clothing or any other object.