Recent Research Results: Touch Is Powerful
In my recent post about cuddle parties, I mentioned that touch is one of the primary ways we humans give and receive love. Needless to say, touch is also one of the most powerful ways we give and receive love — and recent research results demonstrate the power of touch.
USA Weekend (the weekend edition of USA Today) recently published a blurb highlighting the results of research conducted by James A. Coan, a neuroscientist in the University of Virginia’s psychology department. Here’s a snippet from the blurb:
Brain scans of women under stress show they get calmer when holding a man’s hand, even that of a stranger. Stress reduction was most dramatic when the woman and man had close emotional ties. Hand holding may also lower a woman’s perception of pain, much like a painkiller.
I’d like to hold somebody’s hand today. Do you think I should ask first?
For more info about the research, visit UVA’s research site: affectiveneuroscience.org.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 am
Yep, the research is correct. It’s amazing how I have neglected connecting through touch, not just with Dad but with people. It’s important to be mindful of this need. It’s so easy to touch and cuddle puppies or cute little babies. It’s much harder to cuddle a crusty old man or a bitchy old woman! Thanks for the reminder.
Love and cuddles, Mom
October 16th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I concur with the research and your mom. And I think it would be even better research if you started randomly holding the hands of complete strangers. It would be like in Patch Adams when he says “hello” to people as an experiment. You may freak a few people out, but think of how many people’s stress would just melt away with a mere hand-holding.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Ha! Niiiice. I need somebody to FILM this experiment! If we post the footage on YouTube, we may start a world-changing hand-holding movement! Yow. Who’s in?