<p>Of all the senses, touch is the one that most connects a person to the external environment. When two people touch each other (a handshake, a hug, a kiss, etc.) a connection/bond is made. This bonding is deeply involved with social development and emotional interaction.</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_relationship" rel="nofollow">Interpersonal relationships</a> are essential for social interactions. It is important to known where the boundaries are in your culture, so that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_space" rel="nofollow">personal space</a> is respected. This varies widely between cultures and persons.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-20T01:10:47.613Z
This briefly touches on the "how", but not really the "why".  Could you elaborate on it a bit?
Chuck Sherrington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-19T18:25:57.543Z
2013-03-30T03:29:58.187Z
2013-03-30T03:29:58.187Z
Andrew Prentice
<p>Why do people like to be touched so much, why would it make sense from a evolutionary perspective.</p>

<p>I know people enjoy hugs and company of opposite sex, but even people from the same sex hug and touch each other.</p>

<p>I wonder how this behavior could have evolved. Was it the struggle to keep warm that drawn people physically together? Does it all have to do with mating?</p>

<p>Maybe there just isn't enough data to specify how this behavior started out?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-19T01:11:47.990Z
You might want to read this review of social touch research: Thayer, S. (1986). History and strategies of research on social touch. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 10(1), 12-28.
Jeromy Anglim
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-20T14:35:14.460Z
Take a look for articles on [Emotional touch](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17974312)
Zelda
<social-psychology><developmental-psychology><evolution>
Why do humans like being touched?
Xitcod13
# Why do humans like being touched?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-03-18)

Why do people like to be touched so much, why would it make sense from a evolutionary perspective.

I know people enjoy hugs and company of opposite sex, but even people from the same sex hug and touch each other.

I wonder how this behavior could have evolved. Was it the struggle to keep warm that drawn people physically together? Does it all have to do with mating?

Maybe there just isn't enough data to specify how this behavior started out?

**Tags:** social-psychology, developmental-psychology, evolution

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You might want to read this review of social touch research: Thayer, S. (1986). History and strategies of research on social touch. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 10(1), 12-28.  
> **username_2**: Take a look for articles on [Emotional touch](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17974312)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-03-19. Score: 2

Of all the senses, touch is the one that most connects a person to the external environment. When two people touch each other (a handshake, a hug, a kiss, etc.) a connection/bond is made. This bonding is deeply involved with social development and emotional interaction.

[Interpersonal relationships](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_relationship) are essential for social interactions. It is important to known where the boundaries are in your culture, so that [personal space](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_space) is respected. This varies widely between cultures and persons.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: This briefly touches on the "how", but not really the "why".  Could you elaborate on it a bit?  

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