‘Touch’- is a fundamental behaviourism of non-verbal communication within the human species - it can be both powerful or subtle, and very complex. This observational study investigates the behaviour of non-verbal communication (NVC) in relation to touch initiation in public places. The group studied are of latter adolescent stage, and opposite sex couples. Henley started the first touching behaviour model – “and found a striking tendency for women to be touched more by men than the reverse” Henley (1973-1977) jstor/LaFrance,M. Touching behaviour can be sexual or platonic, and is an important part of animal and human communication. Touch differs depending on religious back-ground, gender, age, race and the social society for which people live in. In this observational study the initiation between opposite genders will be explored. The investigation was carried out within a shopping precinct, using a naturalistic observational method of design, using independent subjects. The results were analysed using the nominal data method.
The conclusions drawn are that we accept the theory that backs up Henley’s previous works in that “men touch females more in public places”, and thus concludes that the alternate hypothesis can be accepted in favour of the null hypothesis.
Introduction
This study will look at and explore the subject of ‘Non Verbal Communication’ (NVC) i.e. sending wordless communicatory expressive signals, and can be displayed from all of the main senses, touch, taste, smell, sound and sight.
NVC shows the ‘Self’ by touch, posture, facial expression gesture and ‘paralanguage’.
Paralanguage is the non-verbal communication type, that can be displayed consciously or un-consciously, and can also play a part in the vocal element of speech, the study of paralanguage is called ‘paralinguistic’s’, the effect on the vocal element of speech is pronounced with how we may be feeling emotionally, and can adjust
References: Hall, E.T. (1959). The silent language. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.p10.