The Effect of Body Touch on Intimacy and Self-Acceptance

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between intimacy and body touch, self-acceptance, with marital partner. Being in a sexless marriage tends to be connected with the crisis of the couple. However, there is report stating that 42.2% of couples in Japan are not having sex more than once a month (Japanese Family Planning Association, 2017) with satisfied with the relationship. We clarify the effect that the frequency of body touch on the degree of satisfaction and the intimacy evaluation. We analyzed the reporting of conducted survey in a national Japanese sample of 323 adult males and females respondents to a questionnaire survey. There were 117 males and 206 females, the average age was 44.03 years old. This survey shows that the body touch gave the feeling, “bond of the trust” formed in long-term relationships with the marriage partner, “sense of opposite sex partner approval” treated as female, male by partner sexual encounters. The relationship satisfaction tends to decrease with time. The average time of body touch was two or three times per day. Though the body touch in the marital status of our country was lower than other countries, we found a close link between physical touch and intimacy and love. It is necessary to consider of culture and historical differences in the physical contact.