The Science of Touch
- Kohinoor Darda
- Nov 22, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 16
How a Simple Gesture Connects and Comforts Us
Have you ever noticed how good it feels to be hugged by someone you love? Or how putting a baby to sleep by patting them helps them feel at ease?
And have you also noticed how sometimes other people’s skin feels softer than your own when you touch it?
These experiences hint at something profound: touch has a unique power to comfort, connect, and create emotional bonds.
Two studies explore the science behind this idea. One explains how different types of touch—attachment, homeostasis, and allostasis—help us manage emotions and adapt to change [1]. Another study reveals a curious phenomenon called the "social softness illusion," where we perceive others’ skin as softer than our own [2]. Together, these findings show that touch isn’t just skin-deep; it’s a critical part of how we connect and thrive as humans.
Let’s break down these concepts to see how touch impacts our lives and well-being.
How Touch Regulates Our Emotions and Relationships
Touch is an integral part of our lives from the moment we’re born. It helps us feel safe, connects us to others, and even helps regulate our internal states—like a warm hand stabilizing us when we’re stressed. According to researchers, touch has three main functions in emotional regulation: attachment, homeostasis, and allostasis [1].
Attachment: Building Bonds from Birth
When a baby is held and comforted, it learns that the world is a safe place. The physical closeness builds attachment and teaches the child to trust others [3]. This early touch is so powerful because it activates dopamine and opioid pathways in the brain, which reward us with a sense of pleasure and comfort.
This attachment-based function of touch isn’t just about making us feel good. It also teaches us how to connect with others as we grow, becoming the foundation for stable relationships. Just like how a hug can make a bad day a little better, early positive touch experiences reinforce our sense of security throughout life.
Homeostasis: Balancing Our Bodies
Have you ever had someone wrap a blanket around you when you were cold? This simple act goes beyond warmth; it helps your body maintain a balanced state, known as homeostasis. For babies, who can’t yet regulate their body temperature or soothe themselves, touch from a caregiver is essential. A hug or gentle pat on the back not only comforts but helps the baby’s body stay balanced, reducing stress and keeping physiological processes in check.
This balancing act continues into adulthood. Research shows that touch from loved ones can lower heart rate and stress levels. It’s like a built-in system for calming our bodies and minds [4].
Allostasis: Preparing for Change
Life isn’t always predictable, and we constantly face new challenges. This is where the third function, allostasis, comes in. Touch that is gentle and affectionate, like a reassuring pat on the shoulder, helps us adapt to unexpected situations. It allows our body to temporarily adjust its "set points" to meet the demands of a new environment, much like how a comforting touch during a scary movie can help us stay calm.
By helping us stay flexible in the face of change, this adaptive function of touch plays a vital role in emotional resilience [1].
The Social Softness Illusion: Why We Perceive Others’ Skin as Softer
The social softness illusion refers to our tendency to perceive others’ skin as softer and smoother than our own. Through a series of experiments, researchers found that people consistently rated others’ skin as softer when they touched it—especially on the forearm, an area with special nerve fibres designed to respond to gentle touch [2].
This phenomenon taps into the C-tactile (CT) afferent system, a unique nerve system in our skin that responds to slow, gentle strokes [5]. When this system is activated, it sends pleasant sensations to the brain, enhancing our experience of touch. Interestingly, the illusion only occurs when we are touching someone else, not when we touch our own skin, and it’s strongest when we touch areas with these CT fibres, like the forearm.
This softness illusion might be more than just a sensory quirk. The researchers propose that it could actually be a mechanism that strengthens social bonds [2]. By making others’ skin feel softer, our brains could be encouraging us to engage in social touch, which fosters a sense of closeness and emotional connection. So, when you reach out to comfort someone or give a loved one a reassuring pat, this illusion could be enhancing the connection you feel.
Why This Matters: The Impact of Touch on Well-being
The science behind these two studies highlights that touch is essential to our emotional well-being. It comforts us in times of distress, keeps our bodies balanced, and even tricks us into connecting more deeply with others. This might explain why social touch can feel so good—it activates deep-rooted mechanisms that make us feel safe, cared for, and connected.
In today’s world, where we’re increasingly communicating through screens, it’s easy to overlook the importance of physical touch. But these findings remind us that a simple hug, a pat on the back, or a gentle hand-hold isn’t just comforting; it may be biologically essential.
So, the next time you offer a comforting hand to a friend or hold a loved one close, remember that you’re tapping into powerful systems in the body and brain. It’s more than just a gesture—it’s a way to reinforce bonds, reduce stress, and nurture the connections that help us thrive.
Embrace the power of touch. It’s one of the most natural ways to show you care and, as science shows, one of the best ways to stay connected to others and yourself!
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