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Tavares IM, Brandelli YN, Dawson SJ, Impett E, Debrot A, Rosen NO. Connecting through touch: Attitudes toward touch in pregnancy are associated with couples' sexual and affectionate behaviors across the transition to parenthood. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2024; 41:2070-2094. [PMID: 39135957 PMCID: PMC11316666 DOI: 10.1177/02654075241232704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Touch is a universal nonverbal action often used by romantic partners to demonstrate affection and care for each other. Attitudes toward touch might be particularly relevant across periods of relational strain-such as the transition to parenthood-when couples face many novel stressors and shifting priorities which can interfere with their sexual and affectionate experiences. New parent couples (N = 203) completed self-report measures online across six time-points (two prenatal). We tested whether couples' attitudes toward touch (touch aversion, touch for affection, touch for emotion regulation) at baseline (20 weeks mid-pregnancy) predicted their frequency of sexual and affectionate behaviors from mid-pregnancy through 12-month postpartum. Both partners' more positive attitudes toward touch (i.e., for affection and emotion regulation) and lower aversive attitudes toward touch, as measured in mid-pregnancy, predicted couples' higher frequency and variety of sexual and affectionate behaviors at 3-month postpartum. Touch attitudes generally did not predict the degree of change in the frequency or variety of sexual or affectionate behaviors, with one exception: non-birthing parents' more positive attitudes toward touch for emotion regulation in mid-pregnancy predicted a slower decline in couples' affectionate behaviors across pregnancy. Findings underscore a link between new parents' attitudes toward touch and their subsequent sexual and affectionate behaviors, particularly in the early postpartum period. New parents need to navigate novel sexual changes and a nonverbal strategy such as touch might be useful to promote intimacy and care.
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Pfabigan DM, Frogner ER, Schéle E, Thorsby PM, Skålhegg BS, Dickson SL, Sailer U. Ghrelin is related to lower brain reward activation during touch. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14443. [PMID: 37737514 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The gut hormone ghrelin drives food motivation and increases food intake, but it is also involved in the anticipation of and response to rewards other than food. This pre-registered study investigated how naturally varying ghrelin concentrations affect the processing of touch as a social reward in humans. Sixty-seven volunteers received slow caressing touch (so-called CT-targeted touch) as a social reward and control touch on their shins during 3T functional imaging on two test days. On one occasion, participants were fasted, and on another, they received a meal. On each occasion, plasma ghrelin was measured at three time points. All touch was rated as more pleasant after the meal, but there was no association between ghrelin concentrations and pleasantness. CT-targeted touch was rated as the most pleasant and activated somatosensory and reward networks (whole brain). A region-of-interest in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) showed lower activation during all touches, the higher the ghrelin concentrations were. During CT-targeted touch, a larger satiety response (ghrelin decrease after the meal) was associated with higher mOFC activation, and this mOFC activation was associated with higher experienced pleasantness. Overall, higher ghrelin concentrations appear to be related to a lower reward value for touch. Ghrelin may reduce the value of social stimuli, such as touch, to promote food search and intake in a state of low energy. This suggests that the role of ghrelin goes beyond assigning value to food reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Pfabigan
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Endocrinology, Obesity and Nutrition, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - E R Frogner
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - E Schéle
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - P M Thorsby
- Hormone Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biochemical Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Group, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - B S Skålhegg
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - S L Dickson
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - U Sailer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Ali Y, Montani V, Cesari P. Neural underpinnings of the interplay between actual touch and action imagination in social contexts. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 17:1274299. [PMID: 38292652 PMCID: PMC10826515 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1274299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
While there is established evidence supporting the involvement of the sense of touch in various actions, the neural underpinnings of touch and action interplay in a social context remain poorly understood. To prospectively investigate this phenomenon and offer further insights, we employed a combination of motor and sensory components by asking participants to imagine exerting force with the index finger while experiencing their own touch, the touch of one another individual, the touch of a surface, and no touch. Based on the assumption that the patterns of activation in the motor system are similar when action is imagined or actually performed, we proceeded to apply a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over the primary motor cortex (M1) while participants engaged in the act of imagination. Touch experience was associated with higher M1 excitability in the presence and in the absence of force production imagination, but only during force production imagination M1 excitability differed among the types of touch: both biological sources, the self-touch and the touch of one other individual, elicited a significant increase in motor system activity when compared to touching a non-living surface or in the absence of touch. A strong correlation between individual touch avoidance questionnaire values and facilitation in the motor system was present while touching another person, indicating a social aspect for touch in action. The present study unveils the motor system correlates when the sensory/motor components of touch are considered in social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paola Cesari
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Sorokowska A, Kowal M, Saluja S, Aavik T, Alm C, Anjum A, Asao K, Batres C, Bensafia A, Bizumic B, Boussena M, Buss DM, Butovskaya M, Can S, Carrier A, Cetinkaya H, Conroy-Beam D, Cueto RM, Czub M, Dural S, Espinosa A, Esteves CS, Frackowiak T, Contreras-Garduño J, Guemaz F, Hromatko I, Iskra H, Jiang F, Kafetsios K, Kavcic T, Kervyn N, Köbis NC, Kostić A, Láng A, Lindholm T, Manesi Z, Meskó N, Misra G, Monaghan C, Natividade JC, Nizharadze G, Oberzaucher E, Oleszkiewicz A, Pagani AF, Pakalniskiene V, Parise M, Pejičić M, Pisanski A, Pisanski K, Popa C, Prokop P, Sargautyte R, Sharad S, Simonetti F, Sorokowski P, Stefanczyk MM, Szagdaj A, Tadinac M, González KU, Uhryn O, Vauclair CM, Yoo G, Zupančič M, Croy I. Love and affectionate touch toward romantic partners all over the world. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5497. [PMID: 37015974 PMCID: PMC10073073 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31502-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Touch is the primary way people communicate intimacy in romantic relationships, and affectionate touch behaviors such as stroking, hugging and kissing are universally observed in partnerships all over the world. Here, we explored the association of love and affectionate touch behaviors in romantic partnerships in two studies comprising 7880 participants. In the first study, we used a cross-cultural survey conducted in 37 countries to test whether love was universally associated with affectionate touch behaviors. In the second study, using a more fine-tuned touch behavior scale, we tested whether the frequency of affectionate touch behaviors was related to love in romantic partnerships. As hypothesized, love was significantly and positively associated with affectionate touch behaviors in both studies and this result was replicated regardless of the inclusion of potentially relevant factors as controls. Altogether, our data strongly suggest that affectionate touch is a relatively stable characteristic of human romantic relationships that is robustly and reliably related to the degree of reported love between partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Sorokowska
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Marta Kowal
- IDN Being Human Lab, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | - Kelly Asao
- Westminster College, Salt Lake City, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Seda Can
- Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | | | | | | | - Marcin Czub
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Seda Dural
- Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | | | - Tomasz Frackowiak
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Herak Iskra
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | | | - Tina Kavcic
- University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nicolas Kervyn
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nils C Köbis
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Zoi Manesi
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wroclaw, Poland
- Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kasia Pisanski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wroclaw, Poland
- CNRS, University of Lyon 2, Lyon, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Piotr Sorokowski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Anna Szagdaj
- Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Olga Uhryn
- Lviv State University of Internal Affairs, Lviv, Costa Rica
| | | | | | | | - Ilona Croy
- Institute of Psychology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health, Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
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Passarelli M, Casetta L, Rizzi L, Perrella R, Maniaci G, La Barbera D. Changes in Touch Avoidance, Stress, and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:854110. [PMID: 35936336 PMCID: PMC9354952 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.854110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study we analyzed how attitudes toward touch have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in an Italian sample, through two different studies: in the first we contacted participants of the Italian validation study of the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire, asking them to take part in a follow-up study (N = 31, 64.5% women, age 42.58 ± 15.15); in the second we recruited a new sample of 717 people (73.92% women, age 34.25 ± 13.11), comparing it to the full validation sample of the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (N = 335, 64.48% women, age = 35.82 ± 14.32) to further investigate the relationship between the pandemic, stress responses, fear of contagion, anxiety, and attitudes toward touch. Overall, we found higher post-pandemic scores for touch avoidance toward strangers and family members and lower scores in touch avoidance toward friends of either gender, along with a slight increase in anxiety and stress. Touch avoidance was also positively related to anxiety and/or stress levels except for touch avoidance toward same-sex friends, for which the relationship with anxiety was negative. Surprisingly, we found that young people were the most anxious, despite older people being more at-risk of dying from COVID-19. Women were slightly more stressed out. COVID-19-related fears were significant predictors of touch avoidance toward partners, friends and strangers, but not of touch avoidance toward family. The results suggest that touch avoidance increased during the pandemic (except toward same-sex friends), together with anxiety and stress levels, but the change was relatively small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Passarelli
- Institute for Educational Technology, National Research Council of Italy, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Casetta
- Associazione Centro di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Funzionale, Istituto SIF di Padova, Padua, Italy
- *Correspondence: Laura Casetta,
| | - Luca Rizzi
- Associazione Centro di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Funzionale, Istituto SIF di Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Raffaella Perrella
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,” Caserta, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maniaci
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniele La Barbera
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Kamiya C, Miyake A, Yamada T, Ohmi M, Watanabe H. The effects of massage velocity on heart rate and heart rate variability in healthy infants: A randomized crossover study. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 64:101604. [PMID: 34274848 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infant massage, in which mothers stroke their infant's skin slowly and gently, can cause pleasant sensations in the infant that can be affected by the velocity of massage. However, the massage velocity at which infants feel the most pleasant sensations remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of massage velocity on heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) in healthy infants. METHOD Twenty-two infant-mother dyads two to seven months of age were recruited. Mothers stroked their infant's skin at three massage velocities (5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 cm/s) in a randomized order for 15 min. The rhythm of massage velocity was calculated according to the length of three body areas. The massage velocity of the mothers was regulated using a metronome. HR and HRV (high frequency [HF] and low frequency [LF]) were measured at rest and during massage for each velocity. The effects on pleasantness were evaluated using percent change in median baseline value compared with median values for the three massage velocities. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance mixed effect models to exclude "period" and "carryover" effects during massage. RESULTS When measuring HF, massage (7.5 cm/s) caused a significant increase in pleasantness compared with 10.0 cm/s (p = 0.04). The HR and LF/HF ratio were not significantly changed between velocities. CONCLUSION Results of this study suggested that a massage velocity of 7.5 cm/s was the most pleasant for infants. Future research should investigate the relationship between an infant massage by optimal velocity and infant development in longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiori Kamiya
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akimitsu Miyake
- Department of Medical Innovation, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomomi Yamada
- Department of Medical Innovation, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masato Ohmi
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroko Watanabe
- Department of Children and Women's Health, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
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Cruciani G, Zanini L, Russo V, Mirabella M, Palamoutsi EM, Spitoni GF. Strengths and weaknesses of affective touch studies over the lifetime: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:1-24. [PMID: 33891971 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
C-Tactile (CT) fibers are activated by slow, caress-like stimulations, and convey a specific tactile processing of hedonic and interpersonal components, defined as affective touch. Given the beneficial effects deriving from affective tactile experiences in social interactions at all ages, a systematic review of experimental studies on affective touch perception across the lifespan was performed with the aims of 1) examining whether and how affective touch has been studied in a systematic manner throughout the lifespan; 2) verifying whether the pleasantness associated to affective stimulations is found during the entire lifespan. Empirical human studies on affective touch were searched in two databases (PubMed, PsychINFO) and 112 articles were retrieved. Results indicated that most of the studies recruited participants with a mean age ranging from 18 to 40 years, whereas other age ranges came out as under-represented or not represented at all. Despite high heterogeneity across studies, affective touch was considered as a pleasant experience across the lifetime, and it was associated to specific psychophysiological patterns in infants and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Cruciani
- Department of Psychology, PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ludovica Zanini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Russo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Mirabella
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy; Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306-354, Rome, Italy
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8
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Gusso MDM, Serur G, Nohama P. Pupil Reactions to Tactile Stimulation: A Systematic Review. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:610841. [PMID: 33692668 PMCID: PMC7937793 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.610841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pupil dynamics can represent an indirect measure of perception; thus, it has been broadly explored in the auditory and visual fields. Although it is crucial for experiencing the outside world, tactile perception is not well-explored. Considering that, we sought to answer the following question via a systematic review: does normal tactile perception processing modulate pupil dilation in mammals (human or not)? The review process was conducted according to PRISMA Statement. We searched on Periódicos CAPES (Brazil) for the following terms: [(touch) OR (cutaneous stimulation) OR (tactile perception) OR (somatosensory) AND (pupil OR pupillary) NOT blind NOT reflex NOT pain NOT fear NOT noxious NOT autism NOT nerve NOT (pupillary block) NOT glaucoma NOT cataract NOT aneurysm NOT syndrome NOT treatment NOT special education]. From the 6,488 papers found, 4,568 were duplicates, and nine fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All papers found a positive relationship between pupil diameter and tactile perception. We found that the pupil is a reliable indirect measure of brain states and can evaluate norepinephrine (NE)/locus coeruleus (LC) action, stimulus inhibition, arousal, cognitive processes, and affection independently of the stimuli category (visual, auditory, or tactile). We also found that the perceptual tactile processing occurs in similar ways as the other perceptual modalities. We verified that more studies should be done, mostly avoiding low sampling rate recording systems, confounders as cue signs, not automated stimulation, and concurrent stimulus and using more reliable equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana de Mello Gusso
- Laboratório de Engenharia de Reabilitação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Tecnologia em Saúde, Escola Politécnica, Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
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9
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Eckstein M, Mamaev I, Ditzen B, Sailer U. Calming Effects of Touch in Human, Animal, and Robotic Interaction-Scientific State-of-the-Art and Technical Advances. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:555058. [PMID: 33329093 PMCID: PMC7672023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.555058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small everyday gestures such as a tap on the shoulder can affect the way humans feel and act. Touch can have a calming effect and alter the way stress is handled, thereby promoting mental and physical health. Due to current technical advances and the growing role of intelligent robots in households and healthcare, recent research also addressed the potential of robotic touch for stress reduction. In addition, touch by non-human agents such as animals or inanimate objects may have a calming effect. This conceptual article will review a selection of the most relevant studies reporting the physiological, hormonal, neural, and subjective effects of touch on stress, arousal, and negative affect. Robotic systems capable of non-social touch will be assessed together with control strategies and sensor technologies. Parallels and differences of human-to-human touch and human-to-non-human touch will be discussed. We propose that, under appropriate conditions, touch can act as (social) signal for safety, even when the interaction partner is an animal or a machine. We will also outline potential directions for future research and clinical relevance. Thereby, this review can provide a foundation for further investigations into the beneficial contribution of touch by different agents to regulate negative affect and arousal in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Eckstein
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, and Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ilshat Mamaev
- Institute for Anthropomatics and Robotics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Heidelberg, and Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uta Sailer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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10
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Casetta L, Rizzi L, Passarelli M, Arcara G, Perrella R. Italian Validation of the Touch Avoidance Measure and the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1673. [PMID: 32793052 PMCID: PMC7390897 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social touch is essential in relationships and well-being, but the unique personal experience of touch is not assessed and taken into account in health and social care services. The pleasantness of gentle stroking is influenced by gender, toucher genre, toucher familiarity, culture, and age. Moreover, pleasantness is influenced by touch avoidance, the attitude toward interpersonal touch. The aim of this article is to present the translation, adaptation, and validation in Italian of two scales to measure touch avoidance. For translation and validation, we selected the most used scale, the Touch Avoidance Measure (TAM) and a more recent scale, the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ). Confirmatory factor analyses reported good model fit for the TAM [comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.947, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.940, root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.065] and excellent model fit for the TAQ (CFI = 0.954, TLI = 0.950, RMSEA = 0.058). Internal consistency was high for all subscales, except the TAQ "Stranger" subscale. One-month test-retest reliability ranged from 0.67 to 0.90 for each subscale. Lastly, convergent validity between the TAM and TAQ was also found to be high. We conclude that the TAM and TAQ can be used to assess touch avoidance with Italian samples. The instrument can be used to support healthcare professionals and to assess attitudes toward touch in individuals with interpersonal difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Casetta
- Associazione Centro di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Funzionale, Istitituto S.I.F., Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Rizzi
- Associazione Centro di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Funzionale, Istitituto S.I.F., Padua, Italy
| | - Marcello Passarelli
- Institute of Educational Technology, National Research Council, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Perrella
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Caserta, Italy
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Abstract
Abstract. When gently stroked with velocities between 0.1 and 30
cm/s, participants typically rate velocities around 3 cm/s as most pleasant, and
the ratings follow an inverted u-shape. This pleasantness curve correlates
often, but not always, with the firing rate of unmyelinated C-tactile (CT)
afferents, leading to the notion that CT afferents code for the hedonic or
emotional aspect of gentle touch. However, there is also evidence that CT firing
does not necessarily equal pleasantness, and the range of attributes that CT
afferents code for is not known. Here, participants were stroked with different
velocities assumed to activate CT afferents to a different extent while they
rated the touch on several sensory and emotional attributes. We expected an
inverted u-shaped rating curve for pleasantness and other emotional attributes,
but not for sensory attributes. Inverted u-shaped rating patterns were found for
the emotional attributes “pleasant” and “not
burdensome,” but also for the sensory attribute “rough.”
CT-directed stimulation is thus not only experienced as hedonic. The sensations
arising from CTs together with all other types of mechanoreceptors might be
centrally integrated into a percept that represents those aspects which are most
salient for the stimulation at hand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Sailer
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Marlene Hausmann
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Germany
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12
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Croy I, Bierling A, Sailer U, Ackerley R. Individual Variability of Pleasantness Ratings to Stroking Touch Over Different Velocities. Neuroscience 2020; 464:33-43. [PMID: 32224227 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Many studies have investigated the perception of tactile pleasantness over a range of stroking velocities. On average, pleasantness is low at slow (e.g. 0.3 cm/s) and fast (e.g. 30 cm/s) stroking velocities, but is rated highest at velocities between 1 and 10 cm/s. On a group level, this results in an inverted-U shape pleasantness ratings curve, which is described statistically by a negative quadratic equation. We reanalyzed the data from five earlier studies to investigate whether the inverted-U shape pleasantness curve at the group level is also present at the level of the individual, - a precondition for using tactile pleasantness perception as a diagnostic marker. We pooled the data from five studies with a total of 127 participants. Each study included a 'standard condition' of stroking on the dorsal forearm over different velocities (0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30 cm/s) and participants rated the pleasantness. Factors other than stroking velocity were also varied in these studies. On the whole-group level and in each study, pleasantness ratings produced a significant negative quadratic pleasantness curve over the stroking velocities. In individual participants, ratings varied greatly and only 42% of the participants showed a significant negative quadratic curve. The steepness of the inverted-U correlated only moderately across other experimental conditions, showing that the experimental circumstances can influence pleasantness ratings. Our findings have important implications for future work, where differences in the tactile pleasantness curve should not be used to predict or diagnose issues at an individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Germany
| | - Antonie Bierling
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Dresden, Germany
| | - Uta Sailer
- Department of Behavioral Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rochelle Ackerley
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNSC (Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives - UMR 7260), Marseille, France.
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Russo V, Ottaviani C, Spitoni GF. Affective touch: A meta-analysis on sex differences. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:445-452. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Taneja P, Olausson H, Trulsson M, Vase L, Svensson P, Baad-Hansen L. Assessment of experimental orofacial pain, pleasantness and unpleasantness via standardized psychophysical testing. Eur J Pain 2019; 23:1297-1308. [PMID: 30848048 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Somatosensory assessment within the orofacial region may be performed using highly standardized quantitative sensory testing (QST). However, the function of the C-tactile (CT) afferent, a nerve fibre linked to the perception of pleasant touch, is usually not evaluated. Furthermore, the perception of unpleasantness is also rarely assessed, a dimension not only limited to a painful experience. Therefore, the primary aim was to apply standardized QST stimuli as well as standardized pleasant stimuli and evaluate their potential capacity for evocation of perceived pain, pleasant and unpleasant sensations in the facial region. METHODS Twenty-one female participants underwent QST as per the protocol derived from the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain. For the first time, two modified protocols were used to investigate stimuli for perceived pleasantness and unpleasantness. RESULTS Thermal stimuli provided separate thresholds for each sensation. From certain mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration), overlap between the perceived sensations of pleasantness and unpleasantness was identified. It was not possible to evoke only an unpleasant sensation without a painful contribution, and both these sensations increased significantly when utilizing an increasing pinprick force (p < 0.011). Between dynamic stimuli, the brush was rated as significantly more pleasant than the cotton wool tip (p = 0.015). A quadratic model provided the best fit for velocity against mean pleasantness ratings (R2 = 0.62 ± 0.08), supporting previous CT afferent literature to some extent. CONCLUSION Stimuli were generally not isolated to one sensation, highlighting the multidimensional construct of stimulus perception and the need for scales to capture this. SIGNIFICANCE The battery of QST tests from the DFNS protocol has been modified to investigate pleasant and unpleasant sensations. This allows the evaluation of psychophysical properties across standardized dimensions to provide a thorough view of somatosensory function and to better understand the affective spectrum of somatosensory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Taneja
- Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Håkan Olausson
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mats Trulsson
- Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - Lene Vase
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Svensson
- Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - Lene Baad-Hansen
- Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
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Depression predicts interpersonal problems partially through the attitude towards social touch. J Affect Disord 2019; 246:234-240. [PMID: 30584957 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Depression is associated with difficulties in interpersonal relationships, of which communication is an integral part. Communication can not only be effected by verbal means, but also non-verbally by touch. Against this background, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between depression, interpersonal problems and the attitude towards social touch. METHODS 147 individuals (115 females; 21-71 years old) seeking treatment in a clinic for outpatient psychotherapy took part in the survey. Three questionnaires evaluating the level of depression (Beck Depression Questionnaire), the degree of interpersonal problems (Inventory of Interpersonal Problems) and the attitude towards social touch (Social Touch Questionnaire, were administered. RESULTS Highly depressed individuals had a more negative attitude towards social touch than non-to lowly depressed individuals. Highly depressed individuals particularly reported to dislike physical touch by not well-known people, but not by close ones. Highly depressed individuals also reported more interpersonal problems, with the level of depression predicting the degree of interpersonal problems. This relationship was partially mediated by the attitude towards social touch in general and, to a greater extent, by the dislike of physical touch by people not well-known in particular. DISCUSSION Given the role of social touch in the relationship between depression and interpersonal problems, the attitude towards touch may be taken into consideration in the therapy of depressed patients. We assume that a more positive attitude towards social touch can influence the ability to create and maintain interpersonal relationships.
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Luong A, Bendas J, Etzi R, Olausson H, Croy I. The individual preferred velocity of stroking touch as a stable measurement. Physiol Behav 2017; 177:129-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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