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Title/Topic: Physical touch
peci!ic Purpose: To in!orm the au"ience a#out the importance o! physical touch in "evelopment$ attachment$
an" relationships #oth as a #a#y$ an" as maturin% a"ults.
Thesis tatement:Physical touch is an essential component o! "evelopment an" attachment #oth in our early
lives as #a#ies an" in our relationships an" interactions as a"ults.
&NT'()*CT&(N
&. +y little #rother loves to %ive hu%s at the ,orst times-
&&. Physical touch is an essential component o! "evelopment an" attachment #oth in our early lives as
#a#ies an" in our relationships an" interactions as a"ults.
&&&. To"ay & am %oin% to tell you a#out ho, physical touch$ or .contact com!ort/$ a!!ects ne,#orn #a#ies in
attachments an" "evelopment$ an" ho, this creates lon%0term e!!ects in social an" psycholo%ical
#ehavior. Then & ,ill e1plain ho, touch$ separate !rom "evelopment$ a!!ects physical health$ an" a"ult
relationships an" interactions.
&2. +y #rother/s love !or hu%s %ot me thinkin%3 as physical touch is one o! my principal love lan%ua%es as
,ell$ & ,as intereste" in !in"in% out more on su#4ect.
5()6
&. 'esults !rom )r. 7arry 7arlo,/s rhesus monkey stu"ies reveal that physical touch is a critical part o!
in!ant attachment an" social "evelopment.
8. )r. 7arry 7arlo,/s stu"ies$ pu#lishe" in the American Psychologist, e1perimente" in separatin%
the in!luence o! the !ul!illment o! #iolo%ical nee"s an" .contact com!ort/ on in!ant monkeys/
"evelopment.
i. 9hen in!ant monkeys ,ere place" in ca%es ,ith t,o types o! !ake mothers$
i"entical e1cept in a#ility to provi"e .contact com!ort$/ all o! the monkeys spent
almost all o! their time ,ith the cloth mother$ re%ar"less o! ,hich ha" %iven
!ul!ille" #iolo%ical nee"s such as !ee"in%.
ii. :ater e1periments reveale" the physical e!!ects o! the lack o! contact com!ort$
such as ,orse "i%estion as a result o! psycholo%ical stress.
5. 8ccor"in% to ;1plorin% Psycholo%y in +o"ules$ there is a critical perio" !or healthy
attachment$ a!ter ,hich social interactions are impaire".
i. &nsecurely attache" monkeys #ecame incompetent mothers$ ne%lectin% or
a#usive.
ii. Physical touch is not a ran"om pre!erence !or some in"ivi"uals$ it is critical in
"evelopment an" later social #ehavior.
Transition: o$ ho, "oes physical touch a!!ect those o! us ,ho did !orm secure attachments an" have healthy
relationships<
&&. Touch is correlate" to physical health$ positive evaluation o! events$ an" healthy interactions #et,een
a"ults.
8. Cacioppo an" 7a,kley/s stu"ies in Psychology Todays =ocial &solation an" 7ealth$
,ith an ;mphasis on *n"erlyin% +echanisms$> reveal correlations #et,een touch an" physical
health.
i. The article states$ =ocially isolate" youn% a"ults rate" every"ay events as
more intensely stress!ul. They !elt hi%her levels o! an1iety$ pessimism$
"e4ection$ an" stress$ an" lo,er levels o! optimism$ happiness$ an" li!e
satis!action. They ,ere also more likely to sho, %reater risk !actors !or
hypertension$ an" e1hi#ite" less e!!icacious repair$ inclu"in% slo,er ,oun"
healin% an" poorer sleep e!!iciency.>
ii. Thus$ physical touch is "irectly relate" to physical health amon% a"ults.
5. (n the other han"$ touch lea"s to positive evaluation o! situations$ even ,ith
su#conscious contact.
i. 8ccor"in% to =The Po,er o! Touch$> su#conscious touch #y a university li#rary
clerk cause" stu"ents to evaluate the clerk an" the li#rary more positively.
ii. Pressure receptors stimulate" throu%h touch re"uce the stress hormone cortisol
an" increase the .cu""le hormone/ o1ytocin$ ,hich enhances a sense o! trust
an" attachment.
Transition: o ,ith all this in!ormation to support the importance o! physical touch$ & learne" ,hy e1actly &
e1perience love throu%h physical touch. ;veryone "oes.
C(NC:*&(N
&. ;ven !rom an early a%e$ an" especially then$ humans nee" physical touch !or normal$ healthy physical an"
social "evelopment an" attachment. uch secure or insecure attachment can cause lon%0term psycholo%ical
e!!ects an" an ina#ility to !orm attachment ,ith o!!sprin%. ?urthermore$ physical touch a!!ects physical health
an" increases positive interaction$ trust$ success$ an" healthy lon%0term relationships.
&&. 7umans are ,ire"$ create"$ to nee" an" to thrive ,ith physical touch.
&&&. 8n" no, & un"erstan" there are some emotions@like intense %rie! or ecstatic 4oy$ or in my #rother/s case$
4ust a !eelin% o! per!ect contentment a!ter runnin% aroun" outsi"e or eatin% a %oo" meal@that can only #e
e1presse" throu%h the universal lan%ua%e o! touch.
'e!erences
Cacioppo$ Aohn T.$ 7a,kley$ :ouise C. =ocial &solation an" 7ealth$ ,ith an ;mphasis on *n"erlyin%
+echanisms.> Perspectives in Biology and Medicine$ 4B.C D200CE: C90F2. 9e#. 22 ept. 2014.
Chillot$ 'ick. =The Po,er o! Touch.> Psychology Today. usse1 Pu#lishers$ 11 +ar. 201C. 9e#. 22 ept. 2014.
7arlo,$ 7. ?. =The Nature o! :ove.> American Psychologist, 1C D19F8E: BGC0B8F. 9e#. 20 ept. 2014.
+yers$ )avi" H. Exploring Psychology in Modules, 9
th
ed. 7ollan"$ +&: 9orth Pu#lishers$ 2014. Print.