The frequency of emotional contact is associated with physical and psychological well-being, and those who are deprived of it suffer from depression, anxiety and a host of other illnesses.
However, There are people who resist physical contact with other people, even with the close ones. These people also report more psychological problems than the general population.
Because?
Perhaps this is because, without knowing it, those who have little physical ability deprive themselves of precisely the benefits of that contact. But it could also be that physical contact has the opposite effect on them, increasing psychological discomfort instead of alleviating it, and that is why they try to avoid it as much as they can without ever succeeding.
This is the topic that the psychologist from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) Anik Debrot and his colleagues explored in a study they recently published.
To explore these questions, the researchers conducted three separate studies. The first was a survey of more than 1,600 people who were in an intimate relationship. Questions about attachment style, well-being, and touch behaviors, including types (petting, hugging, kissing, etc.) and frequency (ranging from never to four or more times a day).
The results showed, as expected, that people who touched their partners more frequently They also reported higher levels of well-being. Furthermore, as expected, those with a contact-avoidant attachment style generally reported less frequent physical contact with their partner and They also exhibited lower levels of well-being.
However, some people with avoidant attachment reported touching their partner frequently, and these people enjoyed similar levels of well-being as others who reported frequent physical contact.
This latter finding suggests that people with an avoidant attachment style may benefit from intimate contact just as others do, and in any case it certainly does not harm them. However, we should always be careful when interpreting self-report data like these.
To further explore the connection between avoidant attachment and the benefits of touch, Debrot and her colleagues invited 66 couples to visit their lab. Couples individually responded to surveys about attachment style, well-being, and touch similar to those in the first study. They were then asked to participate in a series of conversations with each other about times when they had made a sacrifice for their partner or felt great love for their partner. These conversations were recorded and subsequently observers counted the number of times they touched each other. Participants also indicated their level of positive feeling before and after each conversation.
The results of this second study were similar to those of the first. But a new finding was that a high frequency of physical touch during a difficult conversation didn't necessarily increase positive feelings right away. Rather, researchers speculate that it is the general pattern of touching in the relationship. leading to higher levels of overall well-being.
The third investigation was a 28-day diary study consisting of 98 couples who reported attachment style on the first day and then noted positive mood and contact behaviors daily thereafter. The results confirmed the findings of the two previous studies, but also provided new information about the impact of attachment style on the couple. That is, not only did those individuals with an avoidant attachment style report lower levels of positive mood, so did their partners.
However, people with avoidant attachment who were receptive to their partner's touch advances generally reported higher levels of positive mood. This clearly indicates that physical contact is beneficial even for those who tend to recoil when their loved ones try to touch them. Therefore, Debrot and her colleagues suggest that therapists develop techniques to help those with an avoidant attachment style. to overcome your aversion to non-sexual physical contact.
–
The news
People who avoid contact are unhappier, but because they need more contact or the contact itself bothers them?
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.