Active Interpersonal Touch Gives Rise to the Social Softness Illusion

摘要: Social touch plays a powerful role in human life, with important physical and mental health benefits development adulthood. Touch is central building the foundations of social interaction, attachment, cognition, early, has unique, beneficial neurophysiological epigenetic effects. The recent discovery separate system for affectively laden humans further kindled scientific interest area. Remarkably, however, little known about what motivates sustains tendency to others pro-social manner. Given importance touch, we hypothesized that active stroking elicits more sensory pleasure when touching others' skin than one's own skin. In set six experiments (total N = 133) found healthy participants, mostly tested pairs account any objective differences softness, consistently judged another's as feeling softer smoother their We this softness illusion appeared selectively activated affective receiver. conclude underlies novel, bodily mechanism socio-affective bonding enhances our motivation others.