The evidence that such messages can lead to clear, almost immediate changes in how people think and behave is accumulating fast. Students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not, studies have found. A sympathetic touch from a doctor leaves people with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long, compared with estimates from people who were untouched.Research by Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute in Miami has found that a massage from a loved one can not only ease pain but also soothe depression and strengthen a relationship.Psychologists have known for a long time that much of what we say to each other is communicated via nonverbal channels. What is new and what is interesting about this, however, is that this new work focuses on the actual physical touch as a medium for the transmission of emotional state.
What I find really fascinating about this kind of work is the idea that there is so much under the surface that influences us. We might not notice that someone touching us alters our perceptions of what happens. But it nonetheless might have a significant impact on the way we feel.
