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Volume 13
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Article

Touch Avoidance with Close People and Strangers: Effects of Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Relationship Status

by
Francesco Bruno
1,2,3,*,†,
Chloe Lau
4,*,†,
Carlotta Tagliaferro
5,
Lena C. Quilty
4 and
Francesca Chiesi
6
1
Regional Neurogenetic Centre (CRN), Department of Primary Care, ASP Catanzaro, Viale A. Perugini, 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy
2
Association for Neurogenetic Research (ARN), 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy
3
Academy of Cognitive Behavioral Sciences of Calabria (ASCoC), 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy
4
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
5
School of Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
6
Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug, and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), Section of Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2023, 13(9), 1850-1858; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13090134
Submission received: 22 July 2023 / Revised: 12 September 2023 / Accepted: 12 September 2023 / Published: 14 September 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in European Journal of Investigation in Health Psychology and Education)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Human contact through physical touch is a core element in social bonding, which facilitates psychosocial well-being. Touch avoidance is an individual disposition that may prevent individuals from engaging in or benefiting from physical touch. The present study recruited 450 Italian participants (51.1% female) with a mean age of 32.2 ± 13.5 to complete a battery of demographic questionnaires and the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ). Individuals who were single and reporting same-sex attraction avoided touch with family more often than their coupled counterparts or those reporting opposite-sex attraction. Moreover, males reporting same-sex attraction avoided touch with a potential partner more frequently. When comparing sex differences, women reported greater touch avoidance with opposite-sex friends more frequently, while males avoided touch with same-sex friends more frequently. Individuals reporting opposite-sex attraction reported greater touch amongst same-sex friends. Single males avoided touch with same-sex friends more frequently than those in a relationship. Overall, this contribution reflects the individual differences related to social touch avoidance with respect to sex, relationship status, and sexual orientation in an Italian sample.
Keywords: touch avoidance; Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ); gender; sexual orientation; relationship status; family; partner; same-sex friends; opposite-sex friends; strangers touch avoidance; Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ); gender; sexual orientation; relationship status; family; partner; same-sex friends; opposite-sex friends; strangers

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Bruno, F.; Lau, C.; Tagliaferro, C.; Quilty, L.C.; Chiesi, F. Touch Avoidance with Close People and Strangers: Effects of Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Relationship Status. Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2023, 13, 1850-1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13090134

AMA Style

Bruno F, Lau C, Tagliaferro C, Quilty LC, Chiesi F. Touch Avoidance with Close People and Strangers: Effects of Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Relationship Status. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education. 2023; 13(9):1850-1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13090134

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bruno, Francesco, Chloe Lau, Carlotta Tagliaferro, Lena C. Quilty, and Francesca Chiesi. 2023. "Touch Avoidance with Close People and Strangers: Effects of Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Relationship Status" European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education 13, no. 9: 1850-1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13090134

APA Style

Bruno, F., Lau, C., Tagliaferro, C., Quilty, L. C., & Chiesi, F. (2023). Touch Avoidance with Close People and Strangers: Effects of Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Relationship Status. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(9), 1850-1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13090134

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