Affective touch

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Ilona Croy
• Subject Area: Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience ; Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 516864904

Affective touch is an emerging field in the scientific landscape with a steadily growing number of publications. Interest in this branch of research has increased significantly with the discovery of the so-called C-tactile nerve fibers and their function in humans. However, with the increase in research activities, the problem of a uniform nomenclature is now also arising. Currently, touch mediated by c-tactile nerve fibers is referred to by various terms, such as "affective", "affiliative", "(pro)social" or "affectionate". These terms have different connotations, but they are not used consistently by all researchers (and sometimes not even within the same researchers). It is the goal of the network to organize and structure the core terms for the study of affective touch in order to enable our and subsequent generations of researchers to quickly orient themselves and to provide consistent operationalizations and thus scientific progress. Secondary goals of the network are the promotion of young scientists and the development of joint possibilities for international third-party funding.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Annett Schirmer