Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner
Abstract Interpersonal touch is an essential component of human non-verbal communication, facilitating social affiliation and bonding. With the widespread use of digital interfaces and online platforms in all realms of human interactions, there are fewer opportunities for communicating through touch...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51773-6 |
| _version_ | 1827377375379193856 |
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| author | Garima Saini Maham Zain Marigrace Noronha Robert P. Bonin Anna M. Lomanowska |
| author_facet | Garima Saini Maham Zain Marigrace Noronha Robert P. Bonin Anna M. Lomanowska |
| author_sort | Garima Saini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Interpersonal touch is an essential component of human non-verbal communication, facilitating social affiliation and bonding. With the widespread use of digital interfaces and online platforms in all realms of human interactions, there are fewer opportunities for communicating through touch. Popular online platforms that virtually simulate human interactions rely primarily on visual and auditory modalities, providing limited or no capacity for the exchange of tactile cues. Previous studies of virtual interactions have explored the simulation of social touch using haptic devices, but little is known about how the visual representation of interpersonal touch is perceived and integrated into a virtual social experience. In two studies we examined how the exchange of virtual touch mediated by simulated 3-dimensional human characters, or avatars, within an online virtual environment influenced affiliation towards an unfamiliar interaction partner. Surprisingly, the exchange of virtual touch negatively affected the perceived closeness and affiliation to the partner and the social evaluation of the interaction but did not affect the level of physiological arousal during the interaction. These results indicate that the visual representation of social touch is sufficient to virtually communicate touch-related cues that impact social affiliation, but the influence of touch may be dependent on the interaction context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:39:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3c7fb164aa834a15ac03277c6cf4caf8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:39:13Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-3c7fb164aa834a15ac03277c6cf4caf82024-01-21T12:16:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-01-0114111610.1038/s41598-024-51773-6Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partnerGarima Saini0Maham Zain1Marigrace Noronha2Robert P. Bonin3Anna M. Lomanowska4Department of Psychology, University of Toronto MississaugaLeslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of TorontoDepartment of Psychology, University of Toronto MississaugaLeslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of TorontoDepartment of Psychology, University of Toronto MississaugaAbstract Interpersonal touch is an essential component of human non-verbal communication, facilitating social affiliation and bonding. With the widespread use of digital interfaces and online platforms in all realms of human interactions, there are fewer opportunities for communicating through touch. Popular online platforms that virtually simulate human interactions rely primarily on visual and auditory modalities, providing limited or no capacity for the exchange of tactile cues. Previous studies of virtual interactions have explored the simulation of social touch using haptic devices, but little is known about how the visual representation of interpersonal touch is perceived and integrated into a virtual social experience. In two studies we examined how the exchange of virtual touch mediated by simulated 3-dimensional human characters, or avatars, within an online virtual environment influenced affiliation towards an unfamiliar interaction partner. Surprisingly, the exchange of virtual touch negatively affected the perceived closeness and affiliation to the partner and the social evaluation of the interaction but did not affect the level of physiological arousal during the interaction. These results indicate that the visual representation of social touch is sufficient to virtually communicate touch-related cues that impact social affiliation, but the influence of touch may be dependent on the interaction context.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51773-6 |
| spellingShingle | Garima Saini Maham Zain Marigrace Noronha Robert P. Bonin Anna M. Lomanowska Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner Scientific Reports |
| title | Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner |
| title_full | Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner |
| title_fullStr | Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner |
| title_short | Virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner |
| title_sort | virtually simulated interpersonal touch negatively affects perceived closeness and social affiliation to an avatar partner |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51773-6 |
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