During communication, we express our attitude towards the interlocutor in different ways. Words and eloquent glances help us understand how a partner feels. Sometimes touches say more than hundreds of words. What is tactile contact, what is its role in building relationships with others: family members, friends and partners.

What is the function of touch, what are they, what processes are activated during tactile contact, how is tactile communication between a man and a woman expressed, can touch revive passion or promote flirting, and when should you keep a distance – read our material.

What is tactile contact and why is it so important

Tactile contacts, or touch, play a big role in human communication. In the work environment, tactile contact is more often limited to handshakes. Another thing is family, friendly or love hugs and touches. By touching a person or hugging him, we show that we are not indifferent to him.

There are several types of touch:

• polite;
• workers;
• friendly;
• love;
• sexy.

Tactile contact is, first of all, a way to show a person that you trust him and treat him warmly. If a person allows himself to be touched, then he trusts you.

Chemical processes with tactile contact

Humans’ love of hugs goes back to our distant cousins, monkeys. All primates have adopted grooming, or grooming: they clean each other’s coat. In addition to the hygienic function, tactile sensations form attachment between pack members. Indirectly, this tradition was passed on to us.

During tactile contact with a pleasant person, not only the psychological component is involved, but complex chemical processes are also included. Touching the skin of another person releases the hormone oxytocin. He makes us feel joy, tenderness and security.

The more you hug and kiss with your partner, the closer you get to each other.

The role of touch in different cultures

Historically, different attitudes towards tactile contacts have been formed in different countries. So, Asians, residents of Northern Europe and North America do not accept tactile contacts with unfamiliar people. Even in everyday life, touching family members is kept to a minimum. The only exception, perhaps, is the intimate sphere.

In some cultures, it is customary to hug and kiss. Tactile contact is well perceived by South Europeans and Latin Americans. Hot southern blood encourages them to rush into the arms of even unfamiliar people.

Tactile contact gives a sense of security

All children seek protection in parental embrace.

Embracing someone strong, we feel under his protection, and this feeling remains with us for life.

Women especially need strong hugs. In the age of emancipation, strong and independent women so want to come home and take refuge in the strong arms of their own man. That is why women often fall asleep on a man’s chest and love it so much when they are raked in an armful.

It has been scientifically proven that married people live longer than single people. Spouses who sleep together and in old age prolong life. Sleeping in an embrace promotes relaxation and sound sleep.

How is tactile communication expressed between a man and a woman

Mutual touch is the main non-verbal way of communication between partners. If people began to often touch each other, this serves as a signal of the beginning of affection between them, they are ready to move on to a closer relationship.

Tactile communication can manifest itself in different ways:

• Touch as support. Spouses can shake hands, hug each other by the shoulders or snuggle up to each other, expressing support and participation.
• A touch of approval.
• Sexual touches designed to show that the partner is set up for physical intimacy.
• Touch as a sign of affection. This is how a person shows his partner how important he is to him.

The desire to often tactile contact with a partner serves as a signal that it will be good for people to be in the same territory.

Differences in response to touch between men and women

More nerve endings are concentrated on the body of women than on the body of men. Therefore, women perceive touch more positively.

American psychologists conducted studies during which this fact was confirmed. In one of the libraries, employees were asked to touch visitors during the return of books. Girls felt sympathy for workers who touched their hands, but men, on the contrary, were more wary of librarians.

To some extent, this explains the fact that a man allows himself to be touched only by a girl for whom he feels sincere sympathy. Tactile contact with an unpleasant person will only cause him rejection.

Touch language

Regardless of gender, different people respond to touch with varying degrees of sensitivity. If your partner speaks the language of touch, don’t skimp on tactile contact. Put your head on your shoulder while watching a movie, touch it with your hand when passing by, hold hands on the street.

An interesting fact is that at the beginning of a relationship, most couples walk on the street holding hands. When a man and a woman have been in a relationship for a long time, they stop touching each other in public. This is one of those wake-up calls. The lack of need for touch indicates the distance of partners from each other.

What to do? First, hold hands again. Mutual touching of the spouses calms the nervous system, normalizes blood pressure. Hugs, pats and light touches are not only pleasant, but also useful.

Tactile contact as a way to rekindle passion

It happens that over time, the spouses cool off towards each other. Touching can raise a new wave of passion between partners.

In order to awaken the sensuality of a partner, offer him a game. Touch different points on his/her body with your fingertips and ask him/her to say which touches bring more pleasure. Such entertainment will almost certainly end on a stormy night.

A great way to spice up your relationship is to learn massage techniques. For this, it is not necessary to attend special courses. There are many instructional videos on the internet. There are so many sensitive points on the human body that their study will be a very exciting experience and will definitely please your soul mate.

Touch while flirting

When a man tries to charm a girl, he almost always tries to touch her. A light touch on the shoulder when he puts a coat on a girl, almost a hug when he helps her up the high steps, a touch on the cheek to shake off the crumb – all these are attempts to achieve closer contact with the girl he likes. The next level of tactile contact is hugging and kissing.

Even if a man does not touch you, you can also understand from his gestures that he really liked you or wants you. So, excited men often cross their legs, hide their hands in the pockets of their trousers or hold on to the belt.

Wanting to attract the attention of a man she likes, the girl, as it were, invites him to tactile contact. First of all, a demonstration of the body is used for this. We are talking about an open neck, a short skirt and, of course, a neckline.

According to surveys, men often name women’s hair, neck and hands as objects of desire. They want to touch these parts of the body. It is not surprising that when flirting, girls most often touch their hair, twist an earring or a ring on their finger in their ears. So she invites the man to touch her.

Internet and tactile hunger

In the age of modern technology, more and more people suffer from such a mental disorder as tactile hunger. It manifests itself in a persistent feeling of loneliness and emptiness. Previously, tactile hunger was experienced mainly by single pensioners, but now this problem occurs even among married and very young people.

With the advent of gadgets, we spend less and less time together in the full sense of the word. No one is surprised by the situation when a couple in the same apartment never touches each other for the whole evening, because everyone has their own life in a smartphone.

Satisfying the need for tenderness and affection is as necessary as satisfying thirst and hunger. In Australia, this problem became so acute that the American psychologist Harry Harlow founded the Free Hugs movement, which has spread to several other countries. Volunteers offer people hugs to reduce stress and anxiety.

Social distancing when touching

Despite the pleasant sensations of touch in close relationships, there are people who do not tolerate unnecessary touches, even from relatives. Such a reaction can be formed by traditions, cultural environment or a psychological barrier.

More often, people who did not receive parental affection in early childhood behave in this way. They are more receptive to verbal support and a warm gaze.

Be that as it may, invading a person’s personal space is possible only with his permission, and if you see that your interlocutor is unpleasant to touch, respect his opinion and keep your distance.

Tactile contact is one of the oldest ways of communication. It helps to make our communication with relatives, friends and loved ones brighter and richer. Hugs are vital for most of us, so put down your smartphone and hug your loved ones.