Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between intimate touching behaviors and corresponding cognitions of relational commitment as a function of gender. One hundred fifty-two subjects were surveyed regarding perceptions of commitment for seven intimate touches. The 2-way ANOVA revealed significant effects for gender, type of touch, and the touch by gender interaction. Progressively intimate touches were associated with greater commitment. Females associated significantly higher levels of commitment than males, particularly for the more intimate touches. The discrepancy in the level of commitment inferred by gender increases as the touching behavior grows more intimate, resulting in a greater potential for miscommunication across the more intimate channels of haptic communication.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altman, I., & Taylor, D. (1973).Social penetration: The development of interpersonal relationships. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Argyle, M., & Dean, J. (1965). Eye contact, distance and affiliation.Sociometry, 28 289–304.
Burgoon, J. K., & Hale, J. L. (1988). Nonverbal expectancy violations: Model elaboration and application to immediacy behaviors.Communication Monographs, 55 58–79.
Burgoon, J. K., & Walther, J. B. (1990). Nonverbal expectancies and the evaluative consequences of violations.Human Communication Research, 17 232–265.
Critelli, J. (1986). The components of love: romantic attraction and sex role orientation.Journal of Personality, 54 354–370.
Goffman, E. (1967).Interaction ritual. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday.
Heslin, R. (1974, May).Steps toward a taxonomy of touching. Paper presented at the meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago.
Heslin, R., & Alper, T. (1983). Touch: A bonding gesture. In J. M. Wiemann & R. P. Harrison (Eds.),Nonverbal interaction (pp. 47–75). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Honeycutt, J. M., Cantrill, J. G., & Greene, R. W. (1989). Memory structures for relational escalation: A cognitive test of the sequencing of relational actions and stages.Human Communication Research, 16 62–90.
Jones, S. E., & Yarbrough, A. E. (1985). A naturalistic study of the meanings of touch.Communication Monographs, 52 19–56.
Jourard, S. M. (1966). An exploration of body-accessibility.British Journal of Social and Clinical, 5 221–231.
King, C. E., & Christensen, A. (1983). The relationship events scale: A Guttman scaling progress in courtship.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39 671–677.
Knapp, M. L. (1984).Interpersonal communication and human relationships. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
McCabe, M. P. (1987). Desired and experienced levels of premarital affection and sexual intercourse during dating.Journal of Sex Research, 23 23–33.
Morris, D. (1970).Intimate behavior. Chicago: Random House.
Nguyen, T., Heslin, R., & Nguyen, M. (1975). The meanings of touch: sex differences.Journal of Communication, 25 92–103.
Nguyen, T., Heslin, R., & Nguyen, M. (1976). The meanings of touch: Sex and marital status differences.Representative Research in Social Psychology, 7 13–18.
Pisano, M. D., Wall, S. M., & Foster, A. (1986). Perceptions of nonreciprocal touch in romantic relationships.Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 10 29–39.
Roche, J. P. (1986). Premarital sex: Attitudes and behavior by dating stage.Adolescence, 21 107–121.
Rubin, Z. (1973).Liking and loving. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love.Psychological Review, 93 119–135.
Thayer, S. (1986). History and strategies of research on social touch.Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 10 13–27.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Johnson, K.L., Edwards, R. The effects of gender and type of romantic touch on perceptions of relational commitment. J Nonverbal Behav 15, 43–55 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00997766
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00997766