Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/9392
Author(s): Simão, C.
Seibt, B.
Date: 2015
Title: Friendly touch increases gratitude by inducing communal feelings
Volume: 6
ISSN: 1664-1078
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00815
Keywords: Gratitude
Touch
Communal relationships
Liking
Relational models theory
Abstract: Communion among people is easily identifiable. Close friends or relatives frequently touch each other and this physical contact helps identifying the type of relationship they have. We tested whether a friendly touch and benefits elicit the emotion of gratitude given the close link between gratitude and communal relations. In Study 1 we induced a communal mindset and manipulated friendly touch (vs. non-touch) and benefit to female participants by a female confederate. We measured pre- and post-benefit gratitude, communal feelings, and liking towards the toucher, as well as general affect. In Study 2 we manipulated mindset, friendly touch and benefit, and measured the same variables in female pairs (confederate and participants). In both studies the results showed a main effect of touch on pre-benefit gratitude: participants who were touched by the confederate indicated more gratitude than those not touched. Moreover, benefit increased gratitude towards a confederate in the absence of touch, but not in the presence of touch. Additionally, perceiving the relationship as communal, and not merely liking the confederate, or a positive mood mediated the link between touch and gratitude. The results further support a causal model where touch increases communal feelings, which in turn increase gratitude at the end of the interaction, after having received a benefit from the interaction partner. These results support a broader definition of gratitude as an emotion embodied in communal relationship cues.
Peerreviewed: yes
Access type: Open Access
Appears in Collections:CIS-RI - Artigos em revistas científicas internacionais com arbitragem científica

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