The Power of Physical Contact: The Benefits of Touch
Introduction
If you had to choose the two most important senses for relating to others, you'd probably say sight and hearing. Yet many researchers argue that touch is the social sense par excellence: it's the first one we develop at birth and the one primates use for almost all their social functions. We live in a culture that barely tolerates contact outside the intimate circle, and that deprives us of a powerful tool. This article reviews what science has discovered about the benefits of touching (always appropriately).
It improves your physical and psychological health
Every time someone touches you in a friendly way, the pressure receptors in your skin send a signal to the brain that reduces the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Contact also activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the relaxation mechanism — and favors the release of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, associated with well-being. It has been observed, for example, that holding a partner's hand decreases the brain's response to a threat. In short: the more healthy contact you give and receive, the less stress you accumulate.
It communicates emotions words can't reach
For years it was thought that touch only reinforced what words or the face were saying. Psychologist Matthew Hertenstein disproved this: in his 2009 study, participants managed to communicate up to eight distinct emotions — gratitude, fear, anger, love, sadness, sympathy… — through touch alone, with an accuracy close to 78%. The face, by comparison, reliably conveys very few positive emotions. Touch is therefore a surprisingly rich emotional channel.
It increases your persuasiveness: the "Midas touch"
This is perhaps the most studied effect. A light touch on the upper arm while making a request notably increases the chances of a yes. In well-known research by Crusco and Wetzel, waitresses who lightly brushed customers while returning change received more tips — the so-called "Midas touch". Researcher Nicolas Guéguen has replicated this effect in dozens of contexts: asking for a cigarette, getting a questionnaire filled out or receiving help from a stranger. A simple touch can raise the rate of cooperation strikingly.
It improves the image others have of you
In a classic 1976 experiment with librarians, students whose hands were lightly brushed as their cards were returned rated the staff far more favorably, even without remembering that any contact had occurred. And in a study with salespeople, those who touched a customer's arm for a second were perceived as more sincere, honest and friendly. Touching doesn't only persuade: it makes you better liked and seem more trustworthy.
It improves team performance
In 2010, an analysis of the NBA led by Michael Kraus found that the teams that touched each other most — high fives, pats, hugs — at the start of the season tended to perform better over the year, even discounting the effect of winning. The likely explanation: contact reduces cortisol and reinforces mutual trust, freeing mental resources for the task. The same principle applies to a work team.
It strengthens romantic relationships
A large part of communication in a couple happens through touch. It has been observed that couples with more frequent physical contact report greater satisfaction, largely because of the oxytocin that contact releases, which reinforces attachment. And there's an interesting nuance: the best indicator isn't only how much you touch, but how much reciprocity there is. The more the other person responds to your touch, the greater the emotional intimacy.
Mind how and when you touch
Badly calibrated contact produces the opposite effect: rejection. Think of someone who, in an attempt to seduce, won't stop pawing at the other person until they're uncomfortable; the result is that they walk away. Some basic rules:
- The safest zone with someone you don't know is the upper arm.
- Context rules, and there are cultural and gender differences in what's considered acceptable.
- At work, it's preferable that the higher-ranking person initiate contact, not the other way round.
- Some people don't want to be touched in any social situation: if someone responds badly to the first contact, don't insist.
Conclusion
The most revealing thing about these studies is that, in most of them, participants weren't even aware they'd been touched: they only noticed a deeper connection. Touching serves to be liked more, to influence, to bond, to relax and to strengthen relationships, and its benefits are reciprocal: whoever gives a hug or a massage reduces their stress hormones as much as whoever receives it. With respect and good calibration, bringing more contact into your social life is one of the simplest and most human ways to connect. After all, if you aren't touching, you're missing part of the communication.
References
- Hertenstein, M. J., et al. (2009). The communication of emotion via touch. Emotion, 9(4).
- Crusco, A. H., & Wetzel, C. G. (1984). The Midas touch: The effects of interpersonal touch on restaurant tipping. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 10(4).
- Kraus, M. W., Huang, C., & Keltner, D. (2010). Tactile communication, cooperation, and performance: An ethological study of the NBA. Emotion, 10(5).
- Guéguen, N. (2004). Nonverbal encouragement of participation in a course: The effect of touching. Social Psychology of Education, 7(1).