An Interaction Theory Account of (Mediated) Social Touch.
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.830193 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractResearch on mediated social touch (MST) often relies on theory theory or simulation theory of social cognition, but these frameworks fail to explain real-world MST interactions. This paper argues for an interaction theory approach, grounded in enactivism and phenomenology, which better accounts for participatory sense-making and haptic engagement. Three future research directions are proposed to advance the study of MST outside laboratory settings.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Enactivism Haptics Mediated social touch Participatory sense-making |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key finding | Interaction theory offers a more suitable framework than theory theory or simulation theory for understanding mediated social touch in naturalistic 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.