Document Detail


The effect of relationship status on communicating emotions through touch.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21432672     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Data-Review    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Research into emotional communication to date has largely focused on facial and vocal expressions. In contrast, recent studies by Hertenstein, Keltner, App, Bulleit, and Jaskolka (2006) and Hertenstein, Holmes, McCullough, and Keltner (2009) exploring nonverbal communication of emotion discovered that people could identify anger, disgust, fear, gratitude, happiness, love, sadness and sympathy from the experience of being touched on either the arm or body by a stranger, without seeing the touch. The study showed that strangers were unable to communicate the self-focused emotions embarrassment, envy and pride, or the universal emotion surprise. Literature relating to touch indicates that the interpretation of a tactile experience is significantly influenced by the relationship between the touchers (Coan, Schaefer, & Davidson, 2006). The present study compared the ability of romantic couples and strangers to communicate emotions solely via touch. Results showed that both strangers and romantic couples were able to communicate universal and prosocial emotions, whereas only romantic couples were able to communicate the self-focused emotions envy and pride.
Authors:
Erin H Thompson; James A Hampton
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Cognition & emotion     Volume:  25     ISSN:  1464-0600     ISO Abbreviation:  Cogn Emot     Publication Date:  2011 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-03-24     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8710375     Medline TA:  Cogn Emot     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  295-306     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
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