Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40796184›Full record

ArticleSocial cognitive and affective neuroscience2025

Is cultural context the crucial touch? Neurophysiological and self-reported responses to affective touch in women in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Danielle Hewitt, Sahba Besharati, Victoria Williams, Michelle Leal, Francis McGlone, Andrej Stancak, Jessica Henderson, Charlotte Krahé

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Article in Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Danielle HewittDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom.
Sahba BesharatiDepartment of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.
Victoria WilliamsDepartment of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.
Michelle LealDepartment of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.
Francis McGloneDepartment of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, United Kingdom.
Andrej StancakDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom.
Jessica HendersonDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom.
Charlotte KrahéDepartment of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GF, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-0620-1263

Funding

National Research Foundation of SA 150745Wellcome Trust 203139/A/16/ZWellcome Trust 203139/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Affective touch, involving touch-sensitive C-tactile (CT) afferent nerve fibres, is integral to human development and well-being. Despite presumed cultural differences, affective touch research typically includes 'Western', minority-world contexts, with findings extrapolated cross-culturally. We report the first cross-cultural study to experimentally investigate subjective and neurophysiological correlates of affective touch in women in South Africa (SA) and the United Kingdom (UK) using (i) touch ratings and (ii) cortical oscillations for slow, CT-optimal (vs. faster, CT-suboptimal) touch on two body regions (arm and palm). We also controlled for individual differences in touch experiences, attitudes, and attachment style. Cultural context modulated affective touch: SA (vs. UK) participants rated touch as more positive and less intense, with enhanced differentiation in sensorimotor beta band oscillations, especially during palm touch. UK participants differentiated between stroking speeds, with opposite directions of effects at the arm and palm for frontal theta oscillations. Alpha band power showed consistent effects across countries. Results highlight the importance of cultural context in the subjective experience and neural processing of affective touch. Findings suggest that palm touch may hold greater social or emotional significance in SA than in the UK. Future research should further explore potential cultural influences on the meaning and function of touch across contexts.

Indexed as

AffectCross-Cultural ComparisonTouchTouch PerceptionAdolescentAdultElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansSelf ReportSouth AfricaUnited KingdomYoung Adultaffective touchattachment stylecross-cultural researchelectroencephalographyneural oscillations

Identifiers

PMID40796184
PMCPMC12569768

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.