Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site abnjh.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!ihnp4!houxm!mhuxl!abnjh!lute
From: lute@abnjh.UUCP (J. Collymore)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Touching (A reposting)
Message-ID: <395@abnjh.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Jan-84 14:57:48 EST
Article-I.D.: abnjh.395
Posted: Tue Jan 10 14:57:48 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Jan-84 05:15:59 EST
Organization: ATTIS, NJ
Lines: 34

While we're on the subject of hugging and touching, PBS a few years ago had
a good 1 hour on touching and some of its effects.

In one study librarians were made confederates (C) of the experimenter (E).
The C for the control group, when returning library cards to their owners
was told not to make any physical contact with the recipient of the card.  In
the experimental group the C was told to make contact with the recipient's 
hand when returning their card.  The E then stopped the individuals as they
left the library and gave them a questionnaire (I think it was a scaled type
of questionnaire) asking them what they thought about the service and     
friendliness of the librarian.  Those individuals (subjects or (Ss)) that had
been in the touch group found the librarian to be friendlier than those who
had been in the non-touch group.

In another study someone wanted to know what factors increased likelihood of
recovery from a heart attack.  It suprised the researchers when they found the
greatest correlation was not based on marital-status, or income, etc., but
with PET OWNERSHIP.  Further investigations noted that when an individual
strokes a pet (e.g. when you stroke a dog or cat repeatedly without thinking)
respiration, blood pressure and heart rate drop significantly in both the person
AND the pet being stroked.  The researchers postulated that these physiological
changes that occur with this type of touching, served in aiding
recovery for the heart attack victim.


It just goes to show you that touch, in whatever form, can be important to
your social, emotional and physical well-being.



					Jim Collymore

p.s.  Sorry if this accidentally was posted earlier in an incomplete form.