Haptic Nonverbal Communication case study

The sense of touch is an extremely very important sense for humans as it serves to provide information about textures and surfaces besides being used as a means to communicate feelings and emotions (Robles-De-La-Torre, 2006). It is also a component of nonverbal communication in interpersonal relationships, which is used to convey physical intimacy. Touch between people serves several purposes, for instance, it can be used for sexual purposes such as in kissing and platonic, which is seen in tickling and hugging. According to Adler, Rosenfeld, & Proctor, (2013) touch is the earliest sense that develops in the fetus and it results in the development of infants’ haptic senses. This sense helps improve our psychological and physiological development, which leads to the creation of personal bonds with other.

For example, when a server touches a customer on the shoulder during an interaction, the customer will most likely end up buying much of the product such as alcohol, thus increasing his or her expense by conducting impulse buying. Social psychologist, Sharon Farber, (2013), advocates that as social beings, people need to touch and be touched as well so we can exhibit mutual connections in addition to being connected through verbal communication since physical things also directly affect people mentally. The sense of touch has facilitated the establishment and growth of several businesses that revolve around touches such as dance, massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, martial arts and many other businesses (Kudzma & Brunton, 2013). Touch has enabled physicians to cure patients suffering from physical and mental ailments by engaging them in pressure points, muscle relaxation activities, and vertebrate alignment.

This type of businesses that involve personal contact between service providers and customers establishes personal bonds since touch is regarded as the most fundamental principles in socialization and healthy attachment, development, and love. For example, when we get a sweet graze on our cheeks from a loved one we feel comforted and loved. This is not the case if we get a similar graze on the cheeks from a stranger, which may result in completely different emotions about the touch. The intentions for any particular touches may also elucidate to the expression of a totally different emotion with regards to the touch. In addition to the action of the touch, our psychological and physiological relation with a person that we touch or who touches us also determine our emotions about the touch.

Physiologically, humans release hormone oxytocin when we create loving attachments with others and this hormone has been involved with our mental processes since birth. These differing perception from different cultures concerning touch has resulted in confusing results concerning the impacts of touch on the lives of people across the globe. In a work set up top management officials are more likely to embrace touch on their subordinate, however, the subordinate is not free to embrace the same on the top management officials (Dalton, 2017). This scenario is mostly observed from the American presidents especially President Donald Trump when greeting people through a handshake. Precisely, their intentions to grab people’s arms hard enough to jerk them on the side is a tactical move, which serves to assert dominance.