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Abstract

Traditionally, nonverbal behaviors have been understood as coded messages one person sends to another. Following this tradition, social touch has been pursued by asking what it communicates. We argue this question is misleading and ask instead how touch impacts on those giving and receiving it. Indeed, a growing literature investigating gentle physical contact highlights that both toucher and touchee may benefit because such contact is pleasurable, because it helps regulate stress and negative affect, or because it generates trust and good will. Together, published findings prompt a new perspective that understands tactile and other nonverbal behaviors as tools. This perspective seems better suited to explain existing data and to guide future research into the processes and consequences of social touch.