{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T03:52:34Z","timestamp":1787629954493,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,24]],"date-time":"2024-04-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1713916800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>We often talk about the way we talk, and we frequently try to see the way we see, but for some reasons we have rarely touched on the way we touch. The communication we transmit with touch is perceived to be one of the most powerful means of establishing human relationships. In particular, tactile communication with parents, caregivers and teachers is particularly important for infants and students, as it helps make stronger relationships between educators or teachers and schoolers and also between students. Research has demonstrated the numerous benefits that an affective touch has on students, physically, socially and cognitively, or as has observed, touch touches deeper that just one\u2019s skin and it is a recipe for creating meaningful relations. However, in the educational context, touch is perceived to be a complex phenomenon full of tension and emotion. For years, a dilemma has arisen in educational institutions in some countries, whether teachers can touch students or not? Despite the benefits that affective touch brings to students, cases of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior at school have alerted the education system, to such an extent that many teachers worldwide consider what is and is not appropriate when communicating affectively with their students through touch. In this <jats:italic>perspective article<\/jats:italic>, by drawing on previous literature reviews, we shall highlight the benefits that affective touch has on learners.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1230796","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,24]],"date-time":"2024-04-24T04:42:48Z","timestamp":1713933768000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["From contact to connection: a comprehensive examination of affective touch in educational settings"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Sonia","family":"El Hakim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Danyal","family":"Farsani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","first-page":"67","article-title":"Development of infant-mother interaction among the ganda","author":"Ainsworth","year":"1963","journal-title":"Determinants of Infant Behaviour II"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"779","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tate.2007.02.013","article-title":"Human contact in the classroom: exploring how teachers talk about and negotiate touching students","volume":"24","author":"Andrzejewski","year":"2008","journal-title":"Teach. Teach. Educ."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1617","DOI":"10.2307\/1130769","article-title":"Does infant carrying promote attachment? An experimental study of the effects of increased physical contact on the development of attachment","volume":"61","author":"Anisfeld","year":"1990","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1080\/13698030500171530","article-title":"Keep in touch: the importance of touch in infant development","volume":"8","author":"Barnett","year":"2005","journal-title":"Infant Obs."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.2752\/175303711X13159027359746","article-title":"The effect of a real dog, toy dog and friendly person on insecurely attached children during a stressful task: an exploratory study","volume":"24","author":"Beetz","year":"2011","journal-title":"Anthrozo\u00f6s"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"312","DOI":"10.1080\/09669760.2017.1414690","article-title":"Adult-initiated touch and its functions at a Swedish preschool: controlling, affectionate, assisting and educative haptic conduct","volume":"26","author":"Bergnehr","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Early Years Educ."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1097\/00001163-200013010-00006","article-title":"The influence of touch on child development: implications for intervention","volume":"13","author":"Blackwell","year":"2000","journal-title":"Infants Young Child."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"460","DOI":"10.1080\/00224549709595462","article-title":"Effects of interpersonal touch, degree of justification, and sex of participant on compliance with a request","volume":"137","author":"Bohm","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref10","volume-title":"Attachment","author":"Bowlby","year":"1969"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"759","DOI":"10.1037\/0012-1649.28.5.759","article-title":"The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth","volume":"28","author":"Bretherton","year":"1992","journal-title":"Dev. Psychol."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00986924","article-title":"Relational message interpretations of touch, conversational distance, and posture","volume":"15","author":"Burgoon","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Nonverbal Behav."},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-2958.1992.tb00301.x","article-title":"Interpretations, evaluations, and consequences of interpersonal touch","volume":"19","author":"Burgoon","year":"1992","journal-title":"Hum. Commun. Res."},{"key":"ref14","first-page":"9","article-title":"Reducing aggression with touch","volume":"34","author":"Carlson","year":"2006","journal-title":"Dimensions Early Childhood"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"940","DOI":"10.1080\/1350293X.2018.1533710","article-title":"Affectionate touch and care: embodied intimacy, compassion and control in early childhood education","volume":"26","author":"Cekaite","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797614559284","article-title":"Does hugging provide stress-buffering social support? A study of susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and illness","volume":"26","author":"Cohen","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.3200\/SOCP.144.1.49-62","article-title":"Gender and culture differences in touching behavior","volume":"144","author":"Dibiase","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.1097\/ANC.0b013e3181fd2263","article-title":"The importance of touch in the development of attachment","volume":"10","author":"Duhn","year":"2010","journal-title":"Adv. Neonatal Care"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1986","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2015.01986","article-title":"The neurobiology shaping affective touch: expectation, motivation, and meaning in the multisensory context","volume":"6","author":"Ellingsen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psyneuen.2013.09.017","article-title":"In touch with your emotions: oxytocin and touch change social impressions while others\u2019 facial expressions can alter touch","volume":"39","author":"Ellingsen","year":"2014","journal-title":"Psychoneuroendocrinology"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1590\/2175-35392021229866","article-title":"Prox\u00eamica e comunica\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00e3o verbal na intera\u00e7\u00e3o em sala de aula","volume":"25","author":"Farsani","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psicologia Escolar e Educacional, v"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.15359\/ru.36-1.34","article-title":"Analyzing students\u2019 visual attention through spy glasses","volume":"36","author":"Farsani","year":"2022","journal-title":"Uniciencia."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.17648\/acta.scientiae.6721","article-title":"Non-verbal interaction and students\u2019 visual engagement in mathematics and English classes","volume":"24","author":"Farsani","year":"2022","journal-title":"Acta Scientiae"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"745","DOI":"10.1177\/1948550616646427","article-title":"A sense of security: touch promotes state attachment security","volume":"7","author":"Jakubiak","year":"2016","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Personal. Sci."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1080\/0300443991510102","article-title":"Preschoolers in America are touched less and are more aggressive than preschoolers in France","volume":"151","author":"Field","year":"1999","journal-title":"Early Child Dev. Care"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.7551\/mitpress\/6845.001.0001","volume-title":"Touch","author":"Field","year":"2001"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dr.2019.01.002","article-title":"Social touch, CT touch and massage therapy: a narrative review","volume":"51","author":"Field","year":"2019","journal-title":"Dev. Rev."},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2008.10.004","article-title":"The science of interpersonal touch: an overview","volume":"34","author":"Gallace","year":"2010","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1080\/08964280309596065","article-title":"Warm partner contact is related to lower cardiovascular reactivity","volume":"29","author":"Grewen","year":"2003","journal-title":"Behav. Med."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1023\/B:SPOE.0000010691.30834.14","article-title":"Nonverbal encouragement of participation in a course: the effect of touching","volume":"7","author":"Gu\u00e9guen","year":"2004","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Educ."},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1003","DOI":"10.1525\/aa.1963.65.5.02a00020","article-title":"A system for the notation of proxemic behavior","volume":"65","author":"Hall","year":"1963","journal-title":"Am. Anthropol."},{"key":"ref32","volume-title":"The hidden dimension","author":"Hall","year":"1966"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1155","DOI":"10.1037\/\/0022-3514.59.6.1155","article-title":"More\" touching\" observations: New insights on men, women, and interpersonal","volume":"59","author":"Hall","year":"1990","journal-title":"J. Personal. Soci. Psychol."},{"key":"ref1003","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.linged.2020.100795","article-title":"Hand-on-shoulder touch as a resource for constructing a pedagogically relevant participation framework","volume":"56","author":"Heinonen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Linguis. Edu."},{"key":"ref34","volume-title":"The handbook of touch","author":"Hertenstein","year":"2011"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.3200\/MONO.132.1.5-94","article-title":"The communicative functions of touch in humans, nonhuman primates, and rats: a review and synthesis of the empirical research","volume":"132","author":"Hertenstein","year":"2006","journal-title":"Genet. Soc. Gen. Psychol. Monogr."},{"key":"ref36","first-page":"25","article-title":"Infants & toddlers: development--the power of touch","volume":"19","author":"Honig","year":"2005","journal-title":"Early Childhood Today"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"288","DOI":"10.1080\/00313831.2019.1705893","article-title":"Touch the children, or please don\u2019t\u2013preschool teachers\u2019 approach to touch","volume":"65","author":"Johansson","year":"2021","journal-title":"Scand. J. Educ. Res."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1080\/03637758509376094","article-title":"A naturalistic study of the meanings of touch","volume":"52","author":"Jones","year":"1985","journal-title":"Communications Monographs"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1080\/00313831.2021.1990124","article-title":"Can I kiss a child? Balancing between different views of touch in early childhood educators\u2019 work","volume":"67","author":"Ker\u00e4nen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Scand. J. Educ. Res."},{"key":"ref1004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1177\/0907568220953514","article-title":"Touch in children\u2019s everyday peer relations in preschools","volume":"28","author":"Ker\u00e4nen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Childhood."},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.969341","article-title":"The roles of motion, gesture, and embodied action in the processing of mathematical concepts","volume":"13","author":"Khatin-Zadeh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1091678","article-title":"How can transforming representation of mathematical entities help us employ more cognitive resources?","volume":"14","author":"Khatin-Zadeh","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2123","DOI":"10.1080\/17470218.2014.907325","article-title":"The effect of friendly touch on delay-of-gratification in preschool children","volume":"67","author":"Leonard","year":"2014","journal-title":"Q. J. Exp. Psychol."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1177\/0907568212447244","article-title":"Infant embodiment and interembodiment: a review of sociocultural perspectives","volume":"20","author":"Lupton","year":"2013","journal-title":"Childhood"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1304","DOI":"10.1016\/S0028-3932(01)00119-1","article-title":"Spatial attention and crossmodal interactions between vision and touch","volume":"39","author":"Macaluso","year":"2001","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"ref1002","author":"Merleau-Ponty","year":"1964","journal-title":"Signs"},{"key":"ref46","first-page":"98","article-title":"Touching, the human significance of the skin","author":"Montagu","year":"1971","journal-title":"Perennial Library"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"857","DOI":"10.1080\/03004430.2010.497207","article-title":"Please touch the children: appropriate touch in the primary classroom","volume":"181","author":"Owen","year":"2011","journal-title":"Early Child Dev. Care"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1080\/0141192032000137358","article-title":"\u2018Touch\u2019 in educational and child care settings: dilemmas and responses","volume":"29","author":"Piper","year":"2003","journal-title":"Br. Educ. Res. J."},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00987204","article-title":"Touch, compliance, and interpersonal affect","volume":"10","author":"Patterson","year":"1986","journal-title":"J. Nonverbal Behav."},{"key":"ref50","first-page":"95","article-title":"Affectional bonding for the prevention of violent behaviors; neurobiological, psychological and religious\/spiritual determinants","volume-title":"Violent behavior","author":"Prescott","year":"1990"},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1155\/2016\/1723401","article-title":"Abnormal pressure pain, touch sensitivity, proprioception, and manual dexterity in children with autism spectrum disorders","volume":"2016","author":"Riquelme","year":"2016","journal-title":"Neural Plast."},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.17648\/acta.scientiae.6391","article-title":"Two fish moving in their seas: how does the body language of teachers show itself who teach mathematical equations?","volume":"23","author":"Rosa","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Scientiae"},{"key":"ref53","first-page":"310","article-title":"Mathematics education, body and digital games: the perception of body-proper opening up horizons of mathematical knowledge constitution","volume":"12","author":"Rosa","year":"2020","journal-title":"Math. Teach. Res. J."},{"key":"ref54","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101129","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cobeha.2022.101129","article-title":"Editorial overview: affective touch: neurobiology and function","volume":"45","author":"Schirmer","year":"2022","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"286","DOI":"10.1108\/09590550910941535","article-title":"Driving sales through shoppers' sense of sound, sight, smell and touch","volume":"37","author":"Soars","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Retail Distrib. Manag."},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"440","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.47.2.440","article-title":"Gender differences in touch: an empirical and theoretical review","volume":"47","author":"Stier","year":"1984","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"606","DOI":"10.1038\/s44159-023-00217-5","article-title":"The why, who and how of social touch","volume":"2","author":"Suvilehto","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nat Rev Psychol"},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"924","DOI":"10.1080\/03004430.2018.1446428","article-title":"Being touched \u2013 the transformative potential of nurturing touch practices in relation to toddlers\u2019 learning and emotional well-being","volume":"188","author":"Svinth","year":"2018","journal-title":"Early Child Dev. Care"},{"key":"ref60","first-page":"47","article-title":"Le toucher comme facteur de bien-\u00eatre des \u00e9l\u00e8ves en cours d\u2019EPS","volume":"1","author":"Vincent","year":"2023","journal-title":"Droit, sant\u00e9 et soci\u00e9t\u00e9"},{"key":"ref61","volume-title":"Proxemic behavior: A cross-cultural study","author":"Watson","year":"1968"},{"key":"ref62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1080\/0013191860380301","article-title":"A touch of reinforcement: the effects of contingent teacher touch on the classroom behaviour of young children","volume":"38","author":"Wheldall","year":"1986","journal-title":"Educ. Rev."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1230796\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,24]],"date-time":"2024-04-24T04:43:01Z","timestamp":1713933781000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1230796\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,24]]},"references-count":63,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1230796"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1230796","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,24]]},"article-number":"1230796"}}