A Study on the Relation Between Nonverbal Knowledge and Touch Avoidance
The following study looked to compare the relationship between an individual’s knowledge of nonverbal cues and their level of touch avoidance. The study was conducted online with a total of 33 participants. Participants were asked to complete the Test of Nonverbal Cue Knowledge (TONCK) and Touch Avoidant Measure (TAM). For the Touch Avoidant Measure, both section one and two were included, testing an individual’s level of touch avoidance in same-sex and opposite-sex social interactions. Prior to conducting the study, the experimenters examined the past research done in each of these areas. The studies found that Touch Avoidance is more common with individuals who suffer from Social Anxiety (SA). In particular, SA was discovered to be most prominent with women who were being approached by men they did not originally know. Therefore, the researchers wanted to focus on touch avoidance within the same-sex and opposite-sex spectrum. This was designed so that a thorough understanding of which instances people may feel Touch Avoidant, and whether or not their knowledge of nonverbals is attributed to that avoidance may be reached. The results of the research found that there was little to no correlation between an individual’s knowledge of nonverbal cues, and their level of touch avoidance with both people of the same and opposite sex. Limitations of the study are centered around both the small participant number and the absence of male and female categories for the results. Future research can, therefore, look into both other variables relating to Touch Avoidance and the implications of gender as they relate to Touch Avoidance.
COMM 413, Advanced Interpersonal Communication
Doyle Srader
10 AM – Noon
What a creative topic. Your research and analysis were first rate. Your presentation was organized and flowed very well. Congratulations