Touchy Self Analysis

On November 15th 2016, I refrained from being my usual touchy self and examined how my grandparents and twin sister reached. I was not sure if they would notice any difference, but to my surprise, they noticed my change in behavior more than I expected which left me feeling bad. As expressed by Hertenstein, “touch serves many functions and conveys many messages,” specifically touch communicates closeness and warmth between individuals (Knapp, Hall, & Horgan, 2014, p. 231). I personally am a very warm individual and I show my connection with others through touch, especially with family members. Since I often touch my family members before conducting this experiment and even throughout it I kept asking myself how my family is going to feel about my change in behavior. As well as, are they even going to realize that I am refraining from my normal touchy self? Essentially, …show more content…
I had no idea that my family would take me not touching them so personally and believe that they did something to upset me. This experiment made me realize that touching is an important concept that shows closeness between others. My family was able to see a difference in me and our relationship with just one day of me acting out of the normal. Moreover, I believe that touch is imperative in order for relationships to be strong, specifically positive touch. According to the textbook Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction, “positive touch may involve support, reassurance, appreciation, affection, and sexual attraction, or, if touch is sustained, it may send a message of inclusion” (Knapp, Hall, & Horgan, 2014, p. 241). Positive touch lets others know that you care about them and want to be close to them. It is crucial to touch others whenever it seems appropriate and to refrain from touching when told so. In all, I believe that touching is crucial because actions speak louder than words and touching others shows one’s true love for