Tactile Aspects Research Articles

Research on the evaluation model for the tactile feel of custom wardrobe furniture finishes

The decision-making process of consumers regarding custom wardrobe furniture transcends product functionality to include the sensory experience, notably the tactile aspect. This study focuses on the tactile experience to assist consumers in evaluating the tactile feel of custom wardrobe finishes, such as cognitive fuzziness during the experience, the challenge of clearly describing the connection between touch sensation and the physical attributes of the custom wardrobe, and reducing communication costs between users and designers. The research first clarifies the hierarchical cognitive structure of the tactile sensation of custom wardrobe finishes, then explores the logical relationships between levels through linear regression models. Subsequently, a nonlinear relationship model between the “Physical Attributes Layer” and the “Tactile Sensation Layer” is constructed using a Backpropagation Neural Network, and the connection between the “Tactile Sensation Layer” and the “Comprehensive Evaluation Layer” is mapped through a multiple linear regression equation. This comprehensive evaluation system for the tactile feel of custom wardrobe finishes provides designers with a tool to optimize the tactile characteristics of products, thereby shortening the design iteration cycle and improving design precision. It also helps users better express their emotional needs in terms of tactile sensations, enhancing the connection between tactile experience and emotion.

Haptics and the ideas of brutalist architecture

The subject of the research presented in the article is haptics in brutalist architecture. The authors used the concept of extended haptics, including tactile and non-tactile experiences. The research aimed to identify the elements of the haptic aesthetics of brutalism. The authors used a heuristic method. The research material was initially analysed according to the following criteria: properties, spatial relations, material features, surface finish, and embodied experiences. The full research procedure included two stages – the first concerned the theoretical creative assumptions and the second covered the design results. This article describes the research process and the results of the first phase, for which the following observation criteria were used: negation, inspirations, experiments, and ideas. The result of the analyses is a characterization of the pro-haptic ideas of brutalism. The authors distinguished features based on tactile aspects but also on the cooperation of touch with other senses.

Survival Kits for Babies: Baby Box Books and Infant Temporality in Finnish Maternity Packages

Maternity packages, introduced in 1938 by the Finnish state to counteract declining birth rates and infant mortality, have reached all newborns regardless of income or social status from 1949 onwards. The box is a unique phenomenon internationally and a significant part of the Finnish history of childhood as its contents mirror contemporaneous views on childhood. In 1982, a baby book was added to the box. Research has, however, kept focusing on the social aspects of the box, ignoring the baby books. In this article, we make up for the lack of scholarly interest in the baby box books by studying how they depict temporal normativity. Drawing on queer temporal studies (Halberstam 2005; Freeman 2010), we introduce the terms infant temporality/ baby time to discuss the interplay of aesthetics and normative timelines. We claim that these books use bodily tempo, rhythm, movement, as well as sensory and tactile aspects to depict non-normative timelines, understood as infant temporality. Drawing on Hartmut Rosa (2019), we argue that the interplay between adult caregiver and infant encouraged by these books aims to achieve resonance, understood as presence and connection. In contrast to adult acceleration, we claim that these books, as part of their unique hybrid aesthetics, present infant temporality as deceleration. Reaching a vast number of Finnish families yearly, the baby box books provide a strong temporal discourse while promoting a resonant reproductive time. However, we find that while the books studied deviate from adult temporal normativity, infant temporality is still included in a normative reproductive timeline, sanctioned by the Finnish state. Hereby, the baby box books expose temporal complexities of our era.

Sparseness and Compactness Shaping Process in Knitwear

Knitted garment design requires a variety of knitting techniques to create its unique aesthetic. The knitting pattern formed by the collection of loops and the contrast of sparseness and density is one of the important ways to expand the knitted garment design methods. The author combines his own research on knitted garment design methods and knitting techniques, starting from the relationship between sparseness and compactness, sparseness and compactness structure and expression, and starting from observation, reflection and analysis of "sparse and dense modeling techniques", starting from the concept of sparse and dense modeling techniques, and summarizing the characteristics of sparse and dense modeling techniques in knitted garments through practice. For example, stretch-induced characteristics, characteristics caused by rolled edge, characteristics caused by dispersion and Characteristics caused by anti-wrinkle properties. We also discuss the visual and tactile aspects of dense shaping, relying on the garment itself, we combine color, yarn, organization and silhouette to form a practical sparse shape with visual aesthetics. And its irregular tactile effects and innovations. Explore the role of dense shaping in knitwear design, such as enriching the design of knitted patterns and styles, and improving aesthetic value, in order to provide some references for knitwear designers to establish a concrete link between design and technology. The development of traditional craftsmanship and the use of new modern technologies have given room for the application of sparse and dense modeling concepts and the study of knitting techniques. It provides some references for knitwear designers to establish specific links between design and process.

Effect of curable clothing on self-objectified depressive symptoms in professional women

BackgroundWomen tend to evaluate and define themselves from people’s judgments about their appearance, which leads to depression symptoms of women in the workplace, specifically manifested as anxiety about their appearance, anxiety about safety, social disorder, cognitive disorder, emotional disorder, etc. The intervention principle of curative clothing is that women’s self-emotion is interpreted in the visual and tactile aspects of clothing, and depressed women are always aware of their existence and free will, and have a sense of spiritual satisfaction, so as to achieve the effect of intervention in depressive symptoms. The intervention mechanism of healing clothing is to induce the desire for self-protection, self-respect emotion and body image satisfaction of women in the workplace.Subjects and MethodsThe subjects of this study are 120 female patients with depression aged from 16 to 60 years old. The research method is mainly to carry out group intervention treatment. The patients were divided into two groups on average. The first group was conventional psychiatric care for depression and was set as the control group. The second group was set as the experimental group. On the basis of conventional treatment, the dressing of patients was standardized, and healing clothes were introduced into the intervention. The intervention last 4 weeks, and then the patients were observed by OBCS (The Objectified Body Consciousness Scale) and EMA (Ecological Momentary Assessment) dynamic test. Finally, the scale scores and EMA dynamic test results of the two groups of patients were analyzed through SPSS25.0. The experimental data is shown in Figure 1.Table 1.OBCS score of two groups of patientsGroupingAge spanOBCStPControl group20.33±2.5240.10±4.60–17.340.00Experimental group20.04±2.1737.00±5.90–13.690.00ResultsThe experimental results showed that the average OBCS score of patients in the control group was 40.1±4.6 points, and the average OBCS score of patients in the experimental group was 37±5.9 points. In the EMA assessment, the level of self-objectification of the patients in the experimental group and the control group decreased during the intervention period, but compared with the control group, the decline trend of the experimental group was more obvious.ConclusionsAccording to the data comparison of the intervention results, the treatment measures of the aty group reduced the objectification level of female patients with depression. At the same time, the EMA evaluation results showed that the curative clothing intervention made female patients pay more attention to their own state, and the healing material texture of the clothing provided positive psychological hints for patients, effectively reducing the non-suicidal self-injury behavior of patients.AcknowledgementsThe research is supported by: Heilongjiang Higher Education Teaching Reform Project, Project Name: Innovation Research on the integration of red culture resources into art design curriculum model in the big data era. Project Code: SJGY20210960.

How an Intervention on the Bodily Tactile Modality Can Improve Communication

Introduction: In this case study, performed in a home situation in Zambia, it was assumed that the child with congenital deafblindness had too poor vision to access sign language without support by the bodily tactile modality. The aim was to explore if a theoretically based intervention on Communicative Relations with a role model who demonstrates communication in the bodily tactile modality and builds on knowledge and competence in sign language can improve bodily tactile aspects of communication between the child and her mother and brother. Method: This study has a qualitative single case study design, which enabled a close analysis of the communication between the child and her mother and brother, by a reflective team. Four members of the reflective team provided insight into the videorecorded episodes in home situations such as bathing and play. Data analysis took place before and after the intervention. The intervention was performed by the researcher as a role model, who is a mother herself, and well trained in the Diamond Model and Dialogical Model underlying the theory of Communicative Relations ( Nafstad & Rodbroe, 2015). Results: The results demonstrated that the intervention with the application of aspects of the Diamond Model was effective in face-to-face interaction, gestures and social interaction, and the application of aspects of the Dialogical Model enhanced the ability to reciprocate signs during the interaction. The findings in this study clarify how use of sign language and hand positions can benefit persons with CDB to improve their communication. The study has shown how competent mother and brother were communicating with the child after intervention using ZSL, reciprocation and imitation and hand positions. The utterances that were addressed by the child to the partners in gestural expressions were answered by the partners. Lastly, it has shown the need to focus on whole-body communication, understanding, and relating to communicative expressions. Conclusion and discussion: It can be concluded that the intervention had indeed a positive effect on a variety of bodily tactile communication aspects between the child and her family communication partners. The role model approach that was used in this study enabled mother and brother and child to learn through reciprocation of roles and imitation. It is a natural form of learning which does not necessarily require shared reference to theoretical concepts. In addition, the study showed that only sign language is not enough. There must be a connectedness between signing and adapted interaction patterns.

Application Research on Enhancing the Cognitive Ability of Art Appreciation of Senior High School Students in Chengdu through Virtual Reality Technology

The application of virtual reality technology in art appreciation teaching can effectively guide students to recognize and appreciate art works from the visual, auditory and tactile aspects. By simulating the reproduction of the real scene of art works, the students' cognitive ability and appreciation ability of art appreciation can be improved. This paper aims to apply virtual reality technology to art appreciation teaching, improve students' cognitive ability of art appreciation, and adopt the quantitative and qualitative modes of research. This quasi-experimental study uses pre-test and post-test, and uses two different methods of traditional teaching modes and virtual reality technology teaching mode to compare the test results of the cognitive ability of art appreciation two groups of students. The data were analyzed by mean and standard deviation, and the research hypothesis was tested by independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test. The hypothesis test results showed that the students in the experimental group achieved good results in the test of virtual reality technology applied to art appreciation. Finally, the qualitative data of face-to-face interviews reflect the positive evaluation of the technology and the satisfaction of improving the cognitive ability of art appreciation. The main survey structure shows that art appreciation learning combined with virtual reality technology is effective and could be considered as a useful technical tool. It gives students the opportunity to learn and practice more comprehensively in the art class, thus improving their cognitive and aesthetic abilities.

Shifting the Focus: A Pilot Study on the Effects of Positive Body Exposure on Body Satisfaction, Body Attitude, Eating Pathology and Depressive Symptoms in Female Patients with Eating Disorders.

One of the most commonly used techniques for the treatment of body image problems in eating disorders (ED) is body exposure (BE). However, evidence of its effectiveness in clinical populations is scarce. In the Positive Body Experience (PBE) protocol, the focus of positive BE is on aesthetic, functional and tactile aspects of the body. The current study evaluates the outcomes of positive BE with regard to changes in attitudinal body image and eating pathology, as well as the factors that influence these changes, in a sample of 84 adult female patients with different EDs who did not receive any other treatment for their EDs during the period in which BE treatment occurred. The results show significant positive changes in attitudinal body image, ED behaviors and depressive symptoms, with depressive symptoms at baseline mediating the changes in attitudinal body image. This study indicates that the PBE protocol is a suitable intervention for reducing negative attitudinal body image in anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients, as well as those with binge eating disorder. Furthermore, the results suggest that positive non-weight-related and functional body satisfaction are strong catalysts for change and that depressive symptoms play an important role in the ability to change. Additional RCTs are needed to gain more insight into the effects of PBE.

Measuring Quality of Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Reproductive Health and Nutrition Care with tools developed by the RADAR project and tested in Sub Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Increasing coverage of evidence-based maternal, neonatal, child, reproductive health and nutrition (MNCRHN) programs in low- and middle-income countries has coincided with dramatic improvements in health despite variable quality of implementation. Comprehensive evaluation to inform program improvement requires standardized but adaptable tools, which the Real Accountability, Data Analysis for Results (RADAR) project has developed. To inform selection of tools and methods packages (‘packages’) to measure program quality of care (QoC), we documented experiences testing the packages, which were developed and adapted based on global and local expertise, and pre- and pilot-testing. We conducted cross-sectional studies in 2018–2019 on the quality of 1) integrated community case management, 2) counseling on maternal, infant, and young child feeding, 3) intrapartum care, and 4) family planning counseling in Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Malawi. Herein we describe package performance and highlight experiences that inform their selection and use. Direct observation packages provided high-quality, immediately applicable results but they required specialized expertise, in-person collection, adequate patient volume, reasonable wait times, and unambiguously ‘correct’ provision of care. General satisfaction questions from exit interview packages produced unvaryingly positive responses despite variable observed quality of care. Variation increased when questions were more targeted, but findings on caregiver and client’s recall of recommendations were more actionable. When interactive, clinical vignettes can capture knowledge of clinical care. But for conditions that can be simulated, like provision of family planning counseling, we could capture provider practice from simulated clients. Clinicians could more easily demonstrate tactile aspects of intrapartum care using observed structured clinical examinations, but this method required storage and transport of the required mannequins. Based on our findings we recommend ten questions upon which evaluators can base package selection. Findings from these packages inform programs and, in the context of comprehensive program evaluation enable us to link programs with impact.

Interpersonal Affective Touch in a Virtual World: Feeling the Social Presence of Others to Overcome Loneliness.

Humans are by nature social beings tuned to communicate and interact from the very beginning of their lives. The sense of touch represents the most direct and intimate channel of communication and a powerful means of connection between the self and the others. In our digital age, the development and diffusion of internet-based technologies and virtual environments offer new opportunities of communication overcoming physical distance. It however, happens that social interactions are often mediated, and the tactile aspects of communication are overlooked, thus diminishing the feeling of social presence, which may contribute to an increased sense of social disconnection and loneliness. The current manuscript aims to review the extant literature about the socio-affective dimension of touch and current advancements in interactive virtual environments in order to provide a new perspective on multisensory virtual communication. Specifically, we suggest that interpersonal affective touch might critically impact virtual social exchanges, promoting a sense of co-presence and social connection between individuals, possibly overcoming feelings of sensory loneliness. This topic of investigation will be of crucial relevance from a theoretical perspective aiming to understand how we integrate multisensory signals in processing and making sense of interpersonal exchanges, this is important in both typical and atypical populations. Moreover, it will pave the way to promising applications by exploring the possibility to use technical innovations to communicate more interactively in the case of people who suffer from social isolation and disconnection from others.

Telluride and After

FQ editor-in-chief B. Ruby Rich reports from the 48th edition of the Telluride Film Festival. Unlike most of its peer festivals, Telluride opted not to hold a virtual edition in 2020, a decision entirely in keeping with its emphasis on the tactile and experiential aspects of cinema, and which made its return in 2021 all the more giddy for first-time attendees and long-term devotees alike. Rich reviews the many festival highlights, from Jane Campion’s reinvention of the Western in The Power of the Dog to Todd Haynes’ archival documentary The Velvet Underground. Childhood takes center stage in new films from Céline Sciamma and Kenneth Branagh while misunderstood masculinity emerges as a theme in Michael Pearce’s Encounter, Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero, and Mike Mills’s C’mon C’mon. Including a coda on the New York Film Festival, Rich concludes that the masterful riches of the two festivals augur well for the fall 2021 season.

Transfer and Friction Characteristics of Sports Socks Fabrics Made of Synthetic Fibres in Different Structures

Sports socks fabrics produced from polyester, polypropylene, their modified forms Thermocool®, Polycolon®, in three different structures (single jersey, piquet, terry) were investigated for their skin-fabric friction, permeability (air and water vapour), liquid absorption and transfer (absorbency, immersion, absorption capacity, wetback and drying) properties. According to the results, the effect of structure is dominant for frictional characteristics but focusing on the material, polypropylene created a bulkier and lighter structure with lower friction coeffi­cients, an advantage for sports socks. The effect of structure is greater than the material also for some thermal comfort parameters, e.g. air permeability and absorbency. Focusing on materials, besides their better liquid transfer characteristics, modified forms of both fibres had worse performances for air permeability and absor­bency compared to their standard forms. Absorption capacity, wetback and drying performances were related to fabric density besides the polyester’s higher regain capacity. While Polycolon® had superiority for wetback performance against standard polypropylene, this was not the case for Thermocool®; however, both modified materials showed apparent superiority for drying periods. Piquet structures were advantageous for absorption capacity and wetback performances for polypropylene. For sports socks parts, specific needs can be met by changing the fabric structure. Considering the materials, polypropylene and Polycolon® can be recommended for both thermal and tactile aspects.

Touch, threats, and transactions: Pandemic influences on consumer responses and the mediating role of touch likelihood when shopping for fruits and vegetables

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced consumer behavior in numerous ways. Most of the public health measures have centered around minimizing social contact and physical touch. In the present study, we investigate the impact of such touch restrictions, introduced during the pandemic, on consumers’ shopping responses and payment preferences in the context of a perishable food category amenable to tactile evaluation (fresh fruits and vegetables). The study used a single-factor between-subjects design (during vs. before the COVID-19 pandemic), with the data collected in a scenario-based online experiment from a sample of 729 participants. The results revealed significantly less favorable shopping responses during (vs. before) the pandemic in terms of purchase likelihood, satisfaction levels, and purchase confidence. Touch likelihood mediated the link between pandemic condition and shopping responses, such that participants in the pandemic condition reported a significantly lower touch likelihood of fresh fruits and vegetables than their counterparts in the pre-pandemic condition, which ultimately resulted in less favorable shopping responses. Participants in the pandemic condition also reported a decreased preference for tangible payment options (cash), with a corresponding increase in preferences for contactless payment methods (credit card or mobile payment). These findings contribute to our understanding of whether and how tactile aspects may influence consumers’ shopping responses, offering important implications for retailers and people working in the food industry.

Pilot study assessing 3D-printed teeth as a caries removal teaching tool.

In UK universities, caries removal teaching utilises plastic teeth. This format does not enable students to learn how to distinguish between tooth layers and caries via tactile feedback. The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of a novel, 3D-printed carious tooth within caries removal teaching. Single-material 3D-printed teeth containing simulated tactile caries were developed and 14 final-year undergraduates were briefed to remove caries and minimise damage to healthy tissue within the tooth. Students completed evaluation questionnaires for their opinion of 3D-printed teeth in comparison to plastic teeth and perceived confidence to subsequently treat patients. Cavity preparation perimeters were measured, using photographs with a standard protocol. Heat map analysis illustrated variation in location and extent of cavity preparations produced by the cohort. Student feedback indicated the 3D-printed caries exercise was positively received, 71.4% agreed 3D-printed teeth would have better prepared students for patient treatment; 78.6% rated their preclinical stress/anxiety as 'very high' or 'high' and 57.1% agreed that if preclinical teaching incorporated 3D-printed teeth, their stress/anxiety when treating their first caries patient would have been reduced. The average perimeter of cavity preparation indicated relative variation, with a maximum perimeter of 19.6mm and a minimum of 10.7mm, and a range of 8.9mm. Introducing 3D-printed teeth into preclinical teaching would allow students to gain confidence in clinically relevant experience in tactile aspects of caries treatment earlier in their training than currently possible. This study demonstrates student acceptance of an alternative caries removal teaching method, with potential to increase aptitude in caries removal in a clinically relevant manner.

Appearance-preserving tactile optimization

Textures are encountered often on various common objects and surfaces. Many textures combine visual and tactile aspects, each serving important purposes; most obviously, a texture alters the object's appearance or tactile feeling as well as serving for visual or tactile identification and improving usability. The tactile feel and visual appearance of objects are often linked, but they may interact in unpredictable ways. Advances in high-resolution 3D printing enable highly flexible control of geometry to permit manipulation of both visual appearance and tactile properties. In this paper, we propose an optimization method to independently control the tactile properties and visual appearance of a texture. Our optimization is enabled by neural network-based models, and allows the creation of textures with a desired tactile feeling while preserving a desired visual appearance at a relatively low computational cost, for use in a variety of applications.

What Matters When Purchasing Fresh Agri-Food for Taiwanese Consumers? A Best-Worst Scaling Approach

Consumers’ food purchase decision is multifaceted and complex, which is not only influenced by product and process characteristics, but also by the present decision-making circumstances. This study investigates this complexity of consumers’ food choice influenced by product and process characteristics, as well as by the decision-making circumstances (i.e. tactile sensory aspects of the product and shopping location), using best-worst scaling (BWS) methodology. BWS allows measuring the importance of different food buying criteria, thereby eliciting consumers’ preferences. A total of 795 food consumers participated in a street-intercept interview performed in three cities of Taiwan. Results indicate that among the nine food purchase criteria (e.g. country-of-origin (CoO) labelling, production methods, chemical residue testing (CRT) information, price, shopping location, visual appearance, sense of touch, package size, and a recommendation given by a significant one), CRT information is the most important criteria in consumers’ purchase decision, followed by CoO, production methods and hedonic characteristics. Three segments of consumers can be distinguished: the health-conscious purchasers (50.20%), the hedonic buyers (31.90%), and the origin-driven shoppers (17.90%).

THE EFFECT OF INTRAMUSCULAR FAT CONTENT ON THE MEAT QUALITY OF PLW X PL PIGS

This study aimed to determine the effect of intramuscular fat content (IMF) on the quality of meat from PLW x PL pigs. Meat was evaluated in terms of intramuscular fat content (n=80), technological properties, visual and tactile aspects, and colour measurements. It was demonstrated that meat containing more IMF was characterised by higher tenderness and marbling, but lower water content and a lower proportion of the yellow b* colour. Furthermore, it had a lower C* saturation, a lower h° hue, and lower muscle pigment content.

Casted Wood - Tactile and Visual Aspects When Target Areas Are in Indoor Applications

Casted Wood - Tactile and Visual Aspects When Target Areas Are in Indoor Applications

The tactile sense of women's poetry in terms of neuroethics

This study examined tactile images shown in the poems written by female poets since the 1980s from the perspective of neuroethics. As the combination of neurophysiology and ethics, neuroethics identifies the relationship between the nervous system and the mind. In sensory terms, neurophysiology falls under the category of tactile sense. In view of this, masochistic and sadistic tactile images that have appeared in female poets’ poems since the 1980s are noteworthy. These differ from the tactile images that represented maternal intimacy or the ethics of love that responded to discourses on male dominance before the 1980s. In terms of presupposing the emotions that are formed between “me” and “others”, the tactile sense is highly likely to express the consciousness and psychopathology of women who have lived as “the sexual other”. The first neuroethical aspect of the reviewed poems appears as “physical integration identity disorder” in which women struggle with the desire to continuously remove a portion of their bodies. This disorder is shown as a tactile aspect of inflicting masochistic pain on the mother’s body, which is based on the psychology to compensate for the pain caused by feminine realities using the tactile system. The second neuroethical aspect of these poems is exhibited as “body dysmorphic disorder” that occurs due to discordance between psychological and physical existences. This disorder is portrayed as a tactile aspect of creating the penis or multiple false existences. This implies that the root of pain is men, and at the same, reflects women’s ambivalent desire that envies masculine independence. The third neuroethical aspect of these poems is exhibited as “post traumatic stress disorder” in which psychological traumas cause repeated stress. This disorder appears as a tactile aspect of “the neuroethics of memory” in which traumas are recalled whenever having similar experiences or emotional mechanization, and this aspect indicates how lethargic women can become due to psychological trauma. The fourth neuroethical aspect of these poems is shown as “obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders” which deceive the nervous system using alternative substances. This disorder appears as a tactile aspect of deceiving the nervous system with drugs, which signifies that the loss of “free will” can impoverish women’s psychological and physical existences. As the findings of this study shows, the tactile images viewed from the perspective of neuroethics connote the psychopathology of women who have lived as the non-subject of our society whose subject has been men. In the reviewed poems, women’s psychological and physical existences that had thus far been formed within the manly order can be better understood through their tactile aspects. The results of this study have a different implication from the conventional evaluation of tactile sensation as a political language that attacks men using a lower-level sense or slangs. Moreover, in terms of poetic consciousness, the study’s results are also significant in terms that the exclusive characteristic consciousness of the tactile sense is distinguished from that of the other senses.

“Haptically Mediated” Radio Listening and its Commodification: The Remediation of Radio through Digital Mobile Devices

This article aims to rediscover the tactile aspects of radio listening, which until now have been underestimated by radio scholars, and to describe how haptic radio listening has evolved, from the beginning of broadcasting to the arrival of digital media. This article will first perform an overview of the studies that have dealt with the haptic dimension of media, then focus on what we call “haptically mediated” radio listening, a specific form of listening made possible by the interaction with radio content through mobile digital devices, and conclude with a critical depiction of the implications of haptically mediated listening for audience commodification.