An Interaction Theory Account of (Mediated) Social Touch.
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2022 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.830193 via PubMed
Summary
Mediated social touch (MST) research often relies on theory theory or simulation theory of social cognition, which fail to explain real-world MST interactions. This paper argues for an interaction theory approach instead, emphasizing participatory sense-making and embodied dynamics. Three future research directions are proposed: focusing on the dynamics of interaction, the role of context, and the importance of haptic experience in MST.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Interaction theory offers a better framework than theory theory or simulation theory for understanding mediated social touch outside laboratory settings. |
Abstract
Research on mediated social touch (MST) has, either implicitly or explicitly, built on theoretical assumptions regarding social interactions that align with "theory theory" or "simulation theory" of social cognition. However, these approaches struggle to explain MST interactions that occur outside of a laboratory setting. I briefly discuss these approaches and will argue in favor of an alternative, "interaction theory" approach to the study of MST. I make three suggestions for future research to focus on.