Abstract
An observational study of touching in public was made, with attention to status variables (sex, race, age, SES) and settings. Results support the hypothesis that touch privilege is a correlate of status. The dual nature of touch as a sign of both status and solidarity is compared with Brown’s formulation of the similar use of terms of address.
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This paper is an expanded version, with additional data, of a paper, “The Politics of Touch,” presented at the 1970 meeting of the American Psychological Association. Research was conducted as the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and analysis and interpretation at Harvard University, with the support of Special Research Fellowship 1F03MH35977 from the National Institute of Mental Health. It is sponsored by Naomi Weisstein, who takes full editorial responsibility for it.
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Henley, N.M. Status and sex: Some touching observations. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 2, 91–93 (1973). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03327726
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03327726