Touching somebody in the right way—a pat on the shoulder during conversation, for example—has long been known to make friends and influence people. But the gesture can backfire, a new paper suggests. (click below to read more)
In one study, participants competed against partners in a maze challenge and then played a game that involved allocating prize points to their former adversaries. Those who had been patted by their opponents after the competition were less generous with points (which could be used toward a movie ticket).
A second study found that those forced to compete in solving a puzzle were less generous donating points after the shoulder-patting than those who weren't touched. But participants who had been told to cooperate in solving the puzzle were more generous after being patted than were those left alone.
The researchers suspect participants in the competitive situation unconsciously bristled at the shoulder-patting as a sign of dominance. The gesture evidently touched a raw nerve.
"A Situational Touch: How Touch Affects People's Decision Behavior," Jeroen Camps, Chloé Tuteleers, Jeroen Stouten and Jill Nelissen, Social Influence (September)
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