Is cultural context the crucial touch? Neurophysiological and self-reported responses to affective touch in women in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

ABSTRACT: Affective touch, involving touch-sensitive C-tactile (CT) afferent nerve fibres, is integral to human development and well-being. Despite presumed cultural differences, affective touch research typically includes 'Western', minority-world contexts, with findings extrapolated cross-culturally. We report the first cross-cultural study to experimentally investigate subjective and neurophysiological correlates of affective touch in women in South Africa (SA) and the United Kingdom (UK) using (i) touch ratings and (ii) cortical oscillations for slow, CT-optimal (vs. faster, CT-suboptimal) touch on two body regions (arm and palm). We also controlled for individual differences in touch experiences, attitudes, and attachment style. Cultural context modulated affective touch: SA (vs. UK) participan

SUBMITTER: Hewitt D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12569768 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature