As humans we forget that we have many other ways to communicate rather than talking. Non-verbal communication plays a big role in our lives, linking us all the way back to the start of man. For example, we use facial expressions, vocal tone, winks and gestures to communicate.
High Fives Everyone !
By: SashaW via Flicr Creative Commons
Moreover, in recent years researchers have begun focusing on another wordless communication we take part in, physical contact. From a high five to a hand on a shoulder, researchers have categorized these momentary touches as tactile communication. As a result, they determined this type of communication has a wider range of emotions and can be transferred much faster and accurately than words.
Tiffany Field conducted a study to find the effects of touch from a loved one. She discovered it decreased pain but also reduced depression and created a stronger bond.
In 2009, Michael W. Kraus, a scientist from Berkeley went a little further and set out to find if touch was related to performance. He set up his experiment by counting every hug, high five, bumps and pats on the behind during a single game played by each team in the National Basketball Association.
He and his team discovered good teams tended to be touchier than bad ones. The most touch-bonded teams were the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, which were the top two teams in the league; at the bottom were the Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Bobcats who were among the worst teams that season.
The researchers took in account for the possibility that teams touched more because they were winning, so they based performance not on points or wins but how players and teams managed the ball. For example, they created a ratio between the numbers of times the team lost the ball to the number of times a pass led to a point.
Dr. Kraus noted that a controlled lab environment is needed to prove touch increases performance.
Jess the Intern faces the task of keeping tabs on just how much high fivin’ goes on between Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. From Youtube user : PhoenixSunsVideos
How can touch have such a dramatic impact?
It seems that a warm touch initiates the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps create a sensation of trust, and to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This action relaxes the brain by shifting focus from emotion to problem solving. As a result, our body interprets a touch as a support system because it helps us perform tasks under stressful conditions.
So remember tactile communication is good, just don’t make it creepy.
-Alvinesh Singh
