TOUCH

1.         Touch Norms

    Frontier

British Upper Class

Climate

Age and Development

Ethnic and Cultural Differences

Riskier than glance (deniability)

2.         When is touch most likely

• While persuading rather than being persuade
  

• In deep rather than casual conversations 
  

• At a party rather than work  
  

• As greeting and saying good bye rather than in the middle  
  

• When there is more emotion & closer relationship used to provide social support (patting)  
  

• Men initiate and women receive (effects are weak)  
  

• Higher power/status person initiates when higher power person touches it may be seen as affectionate when lower power person initiates touch it tends to be formal (e.g., handshakes

3.         Areas of the body

  Non-vulnerable and accessible:              hands, arms, shoulders, upper back

  Vulnerable (intimates only):  head, neck, torso, lower back,  buttocks, legs, feet

4.            Meanings

Positive Emotion (support, inclusion, appreciation, sexual, affection)

Immediacy is a more common message than dominance

Playful (affection, aggression)

Control

Rituals (e.g., greeting)

Task

Accidental