Editing Haptic communication (section)

==Meanings==
Touch research conducted by Jones and Yarbrough revealed 18 different meanings of touch, grouped in seven types: Positive affect (emotion), playfulness, control, ritual, hybrid (mixed), task-related, and accidental touch.

===Positive affect===
These touches communicate positive emotions and occur mostly between persons who have close relationships. These touches can be further classified as support, [[Gratitude|appreciation]], [[Inclusion (value and practice)|inclusion]], [[sexual interest]] or intent, and [[affection]]. Research has shown that hugging can reduce levels of the stress hormone [[cortisol]].<ref>[https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-life-of-the-skin-hungry-can-you-go-crazy-from-a-lack-of-touch/ The Life of the Skin-Hungry: Can You Go Crazy from a Lack Of Touch?] ''VICE''. Published 8 November 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2018.</ref>

*''Support'': Serve to nurture, reassure, or promise protection. These touches generally occur in situations which either virtually require or make it clearly preferable that one person show concern for another who is experiencing distress.
*''Appreciation'': Express gratitude for something another person has done.
*''Inclusion'': Draw attention to the act of being together and suggest psychological closeness.
*''Sexual'': Express physical attraction or sexual interest.
*''Affection'': Express generalized positive regard beyond mere acknowledgment of the other.

===Playful===
These touches serve to lighten an interaction. These touches communicate a double message since they always involve a play signal, either verbal or nonverbal, which indicates the behavior is not to be taken seriously. These touches can be further classified as [[affection]]ate and [[aggressive]].

*''Playful affection'': Serve to lighten interaction. The seriousness of the positive message is diminished by the play signal. These touches indicate teasing and are usually mutual.
*''Playful aggression'': Like playful affection these touches are used to serve to lighten interaction, however, the play signal indicates aggression. These touches are initiated, rather than mutual. Since the playful aggression usually involves these antagonistic actions that from an outside perspective may be seen as serious, sometimes these playful actions can be categorized as violent.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hart |first=Jennifer |date=May 1, 2015 |title=Playful Aggression and the Situational Contexts That Affect Perceptions |url=https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3361&context=thesesdissertations |journal=UNLV}}</ref> In a formal environment, this type of haptic communication may be frowned upon such as in schools or a work setting and could be prohibited.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hart |first1=Jennifer L. |last2=Tannock |first2=Michelle T. |title=Playful Aggression in Early Childhood Settings |journal=Children Australia |date=September 2013 |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=106–114 |doi=10.1017/cha.2013.14 |s2cid=143474235 }}</ref>

===Control===
[[File:Defense.gov photo essay 110926-F-RN211-071.jpg|thumb|An Afghan police officer pats a child on the head.]]
These touches serve to direct the behavior, attitude, or feeling state of the recipient. The key feature of these touches is that almost all of the touches are initiated by the person who attempts influence. These touches can be further classified as [[Compliance (regulation)|compliance]], attention-getting, and announcing a response.

*''Compliance'': Attempts to direct behavior of another person, and often, by implication, to influence attitudes or feelings.
*''Attention-getting'': Serve to direct the touch recipient's perceptual focus toward something.
*''Announcing a response'': Call attention to and emphasize a feeling state of initiator; implicitly requests affect response from another.

===Ritualistic===
These touches consist of [[greeting]] and [[:wikt:departure|departure]] touches. They serve no other function than to help make transitions in and out of focused interaction.

*''Greeting'': Serve as part of the act of acknowledging another at the opening of an encounter.
*''Departure'': Serve as a part of the act of closing an encounter
These touches can differ depending on the location the social interaction is taking place. For example, in Japan a common greeting and departure is to bow to someone when greeting them. For the Maori people, a tribe in New Zealand, people often rub noses to initiate a greeting, where two people press their forehead together and rub their noses with each other. These greetings are seen as a social norm due to their geographic location, depending on the location these types of greeting and departure touches will not be seen as socially acceptable. There is also differences within geographic locations as well, it then comes down to the formality of a setting. In America, it is common for people to greet friends with a hug, but in the setting of a job or an interview, one would normally have the greeting of a handshake instead. Social norms dictate much of the ritualistic behavior that is initiated.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-22 |title=5.2: Types of Nonverbal Communication |url=https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Courses/Butte_College/Exploring_Intercultural_Communication_(Grothe)/05%3A_Nonverbal_Processes_in_Intercultural_Communication/5.02%3A_Types_of_Nonverbal_Communication |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=Social Sci LibreTexts |language=en}}</ref>

===Hybrid===
These touches involve two or more of the meanings described above. These touches can be further classified as greeting/affection and departure/affection.

''Greeting/affection'': Express affection and acknowledgement of the initiation of an encounter

''Departure/affection'': Express affection and serve to close an encounter

===Task-related===
These touches are directly associated with the performance of a task. These touches can be further classified as:
* ''Reference to [[Human physical appearance|appearance]]'': Point out or inspect a body part or artefact referred to in a verbal comment about appearance
* ''Instrumental ancillary'': Occur as an unnecessary part of the accomplishment of a task
* ''Instrumental [[intrinsic]]'': Accomplish a task in and out of itself i.e., a helping touch.

===Accidental===
These touches are perceived as unintentional and have no meaning. They consist mainly of brushes.
Research by Martin in a retailing context found that male and female shoppers who were accidentally touched from behind by other shoppers left a store earlier than people who had not been touched and evaluated brands more negatively, resulting in the Accidental Interpersonal Touch effect.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1086/662038 |title=A Stranger's Touch: Effects of Accidental Interpersonal Touch on Consumer Evaluations and Shopping Time |journal=Journal of Consumer Research |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=174–84 |year=2012 |last1=Martin |first1=Brett A. S. |url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/51063/1/Martin_Stranger%27s_Touch_JCR_2012.pdf }}</ref>