Emotional Comunicating-Via Touch

You stand blindfolded in a lab. A stranger approaches you but does not speak or make any sounds. This person will touch you in a manner that is intended to convey any one of 8 different emotions. Your role in this experiment is to “decode” the tactile sensations you feel and determine whether they convey anger, fear, happiness, sadness, disgust, love, gratitude, or sympathy. Researchers who conducted this study found evidence that touch does indeed communicate distinct emotions-and that it does so in robust fashion.