Universal Gestures

Gestures for victory, defeat and stress are almost the same in all countries.

On the front page of a newspaper we often see the picture of people holding their head in shock. People put their hands on their head or over their mouth when they look on a scene with shock or horror.

Chris Ulrich is an expert on body language. He said that covering your mouth or putting your hands on your head helps make you feel safer from perceived threat. By covering part of your face you can feel hidden from the shocking event. Additionally these reactions can help a person comfort himself through touch. Ulrich said it is a self comforting gesture to help people in the moment.

In times of strong anxiety, people will twist their hands to calm themselves. Ulrich said it is a reaction people often have when they are in front of an audience or nervous. "It's a comfort for them that they'll get through it," said Ulrich. He relates that gesture to a parent trying to calm a child.

Most athletes react to victories or defeats with specific behaviors. A 2008 study examined pictures of judo competitors during the 2008 Olympic Games. They were from different countries, but they showed similar behaviors when they won a match. The winners would throw their head back or raise their hands in triumph. Ulrich said these victory behaviors are a way winners"explode"out and take up more space.

However, if an athlete suffers a loss, he will act in a way that makes him physically smaller, such as hanging his head. "When you lose, you want to disappear,"said Ulrich. The study also found that the judo competitors had the same behavior when they lost.

问题：
12. People tend to twist their hands when they are ____.