Abstract
Field studies have demonstrated that humans become more generous, helpful and compliant after having been touched by another person. Here, we explored whether these effects are larger for touch activating the C-tactile (CT) fibres, as it is ascribed a particular role in establishing and maintaining bonds and affiliative interactions. The role of CT-targeted and non-targeted touch on prosocial behaviour was investigated in three different experiments using a trust game and a task measuring individual differences in social value orientations (the SVO task). Whereas participants in general acted prosocially, there was no influence of CT-targeted touch on prosocial behaviour, both in comparison to non-CT-targeted control touch and visual (non-tactile) stimulation. The null findings were further corroborated by Bayesian statistics. Thus, under the controlled laboratory conditions employed, CT-targeted touch did not play a particular role in prosocial behaviour. This indicates that touch does not increase prosocial behaviour in the absence of meaningful social and psychological connotations. Any touch related effects on prosocial behaviour likely depends on the ecological validity of the situation.
Highlights
Touch plays an important role in initiating and maintaining social affiliation and attachment, as has been shown for primates[1,2,3] rats[4], and humans[5,6,7]
Different characteristics of the touch applied may lead to different effects on prosocial behaviour
Humans have both a rapid touch system, where signals are transmitted via myelinated, fast conducting A β afferent nerves, and a slow touch system consisting of unmyelinated C fibres with a conduction velocity about 50 times lower
Summary
Touch plays an important role in initiating and maintaining social affiliation and attachment, as has been shown for primates[1,2,3] rats[4], and humans[5,6,7]. Different characteristics of the touch applied may lead to different effects on prosocial behaviour Humans have both a rapid touch system, where signals are transmitted via myelinated, fast conducting A β afferent nerves, and a slow touch system consisting of unmyelinated C fibres with a conduction velocity about 50 times lower. The present study set out to test this hypothesis in an experimentally controlled laboratory setting, and to establish the specific role of CT-targeted tactile stimulation in prosocial behaviour. To this end, we conducted three experiments with two different economic tasks and different control conditions under controlled laboratory conditions. A brush allows for more controlled tactile stimulation, since it is independent of skin temperature and humidity, and because the force can be better monitored via the bending of the hairs
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