Abstract
In the context of a familiar and well-defined relationship, the meaning of interpersonal touch is usually clear to the person who is touched. In an unfamiliar relationship, however, various motives may account for the touching behavior. Personal motives that may underlie such touching include the wish to convey warmth and affection (e.g., Nguyen, Heslin, & Nguyen, 1975), sexual desire or sexual harassment (e.g., Gutek, Nakamura, Gahart, Handschumacher, & Russell, 1980), and interpersonal dominance (e.g., Henley, 1977), or social control (Patterson, 1983). An interpersonal touch that includes multiple motives evokes uncertainty in the recipient about how to react. The touch recipient may feel both flattered and wary. Concern is likely to derive from doubt as to whether the touch was spontaneous and free of ulterior motives.
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Whitehurst, T.C., Derlega, V.J. (1985). Influence of Touch and Preferences for Control on Visual Behavior and Subjective Responses. In: Ellyson, S.L., Dovidio, J.F. (eds) Power, Dominance, and Nonverbal Behavior. Springer Series in Social Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5106-4_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5106-4_9
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