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The meaning and function of touch are likely similar across cultures, and just as cultures
regulate space, they also regulate touch, by creating different rules about the amounts of

touching behavior deemed acceptable.

3.5.1.1. Understanding Communicative Meanings of Touch

Touch is our most intimate and involving form of communication and helps us to keep
good relationships with others. That is why we use expressions like ―Let‘s stay in touch,‖ ―I‘ll
contact you when I get back,‖ and ―I was touched by what another person said or did.‖ —

Stanley E. Jones, 1999, p. 192
There are many kinds of touch, like the positive touch, negative touch, playful touch, serious
touch, control touch, etc. All these different kinds of nonverbal communicational touches are

meant to communicate something specific.

3.5.1.2. Importance of Touch

Touch is the first sense to develop in the fetus and probably the last sense to leave us
when we die; it is also the most intimate and sophisticated of our senses. As Sachs (1988) put
it, touch is ―the foundation for communication with the world around us, and probably the single

sense that is as old as life itself‖. The development of an infant‘s haptic senses and how it
relates to the development of the other senses such as vision have been the target of much

research.

3.5.1.3. Dimensions of Touch

Although touch can undoubtedly promote physical and psychological well-being, not all
touches are the same. Touches come in different varieties and can be affectionate and loving,
condescending, or violent. Just as warm, loving touch can lead to positive outcomes, violent

touch can lead to negative outcomes such as lowered self-esteem, stress, and illness.
The same type of touch can send different messages. For example, a pat on the shoulder can
be comforting when given by a good friend who is providing you with some emotional support,

or it can be condescending when administered by a rival who says ―better luck next time‖ after
being promoted instead of you.

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