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MODULE 13: HAPTICS AND PROXEMICS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Define Haptics
 Describe the communicative meaning of touch

 To know the importance of touch
 To know the positive and negative aspects of handshake

 Define Proxemics
 To know the various kinds of distances.

OVERVIEW

Touch has the ability to comfort someone when words alone cannot. This positive power of
touch is countered by the potential for touch to be threatening because of its connection to sexual

harassment and violence. We turn to haptics, which is the study of communication through touch, to
learn more about the power of touch. Touch is necessary for human social development, and it can

be welcoming, threatening, or persuasive. There are several types of touch.
The study of how space and distance affect communication is known as proxemics. We only need to
look at how space appears in common metaphors to see how space, communication, and

relationships are intertwined.

3.5.1. HAPTICS

The science of touch is referred to as haptics. Touch is related to the use of

interpersonal space because it requires close physical contact. Some writers consider
interpersonal touch as one of humankind‘s earliest and most basic forms of communication

(Knapp, 1972; Morris, 1971), probably owing to its importance in early mother-infant caretaking.
Anecdotally, touch has long been considered a sign of positive emotion, closeness, comfort,
and compassion. As such, we learn to communicate many messages via touch. There are good

touch and bad touch.

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