Extraversion and adult attachment dimensions predict attitudes towards social touch

Abstract

Attitudes and experiences of touch vary considerably between individuals and also shift in response to societal change. This preregistered study examined predictors of inter-individual variability in touch attitudes and experiences in a large and diverse UK healthy adult sample (N = 15,166). Trait extraversion was the strongest predictor of day-to-day social touch attitudes (e.g., handshakes), where greater extraversion predicted more positive attitudes. Attachment avoidance and anxiety most strongly predicted attitudes and experiences of intimate touch (e.g., kissing, caressing). This study is the first to analyse the relative contribution of individual difference predictors to this broad range of touch attitudes and experiences. Findings highlight the complex interplay between perceiver and context in shaping touch experiences.