Touch starvation

Touch is often referred to as the "mother of all the senses" due to it being the first sense to develop (as it develops in the womb) and is cited to be the most crucial for human development. At birth, humans receive all sensory input from their skin, and constantly require new feedback in order to support the proper biochemical development of the brain. Humans receive this stimulation in the womb and birth canal and thus don't require it. Their work cited the 1966 scholarship of Sidney Jourard which "suggested that Americans are raised to think that touch must be either aggressive or sexual," and thus were hesitant to openly engage in positive physical contact with anyone other than sexual partners. Social "craving" Social interaction acts as a "primary reward" in social animals, and its restriction can cause altered or depressed behavior. This in turn helps to reduce stress through the inhibition of and restriction on the production of cortisol, which regulates stress. Physical contact is critical to the development of social bonds and relationships on some level in almost every culture worldwide; its absence for long periods of time, even when offset by social interaction in other spheres, can have serious consequences on a person's emotional regulation and stress-hormone balance, with psychological damage building over extended periods of restriction. Individuals with greater sensitivity to touch, such as special needs or neurodivergent persons (especially children), trauma victims, veterans, survivors of sexual or physical abuse, or hypochondriacs may be averse to physical contact and social interaction. They may wish to restrict either to certain degrees of interaction, persons, or parts of the body. Unwanted touch can thus sometimes have the opposite of its generally assumed effect, triggering severe anxiety, stress, or fear, in some cases to such a degree that it produces a fight-or-flight response. Therapy for these individuals is nonetheless suggested by specialists to allow for some affective reciprocal physical contact, if nonetheless limited, as touch can still be beneficial if proper steps are taken to address the particular interests, restrictions, and needs of the person involved. == Scholarship and cultural/circumstantial role ==

American scholarship from the late-20th century forward has promoted the need for increased physical touch among loved ones and in society at large. It also supports the notion that humans have historically understood the connection between physical touch and healing. Physical touch and age Early childhood development The overwhelming majority of scholarship states that physical touch/closeness, holding, and nurturing play a critical role in the development of secure attachment styles, early communication skills, and social behavior in infants. In general, infants will naturally seek physical connection with their caregiver. In children with autism, self-soothing techniques such as brushing, swinging (of the arms and legs), and jumping were found to have a positive effect on emotional regulation and to reduce tactile sensitivity, without note for physical touch received in other settings; this may indicate a potential alternative for parents in the absence of comfortable or practical options for their child for physical contact with others. Aging Despite its critical role in their well-functioning, most people receive less physical touch as they age. However, the positive response generated by 'pleasant' touch in old age is even more pronounced. Though there is no proof of a social-emotional benefit, massage therapy has been shown to enhance relaxation and improve mood in elderly recipients. Gender split Though research initially claimed that women receive greater enjoyment than men from physical touch, later scholarship has challenged that notion due to the wide variability in the experience, reception, and initiation of contact among members of both sexes. Research published in Physiology & Behavior concluded through two separate studies that women were arguably more likely to use physical touch as a coping mechanism than men, though researchers noted that conclusions in the field thus far were imperfect. == History and counter-arguments ==

Comfort-contact theory In the 1960s, Harry Harlow studied baby rhesus monkeys who were separated from their mothers and given two surrogate mothers, one of terrycloth that gave them no food and another made of wire that did provide food. The baby monkeys spent more time with the terrycloth mothers because they simulated comforting touch. People in confinement have reported physical symptoms consistent with hypertension, such as "chronic headaches, trembling, sweaty palms, extreme dizziness and heart palpitation," as well as trouble eating, irregular digestion, and oversensitivity to unexpected normal stimuli. Though paralyzed from the waist down, she maintains all of her other senses and currently serves as a criminal law researcher for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor in Cleveland, Ohio. The researchers claim this represents proof that a sense of touch is not a contingent factor of normal social-emotional development. == See also ==