Effects of modeling and topic stimulus on self-referent touching.
Self-touching is defined as self-directed touches, e.g., scratching or rubbing, that have no apparent conscious motivation. Earlier research on self-touching focused on internal processes associated with self-touching, e.g., mental conflict, while more recent research has considered external motivators, such as an auditory or visual presentation of a provocative stimulus, e.g., leeches. Here, 110 undergraduate psychology students (68 women, 42 men; M age = 18.7 yr., SD = 1.0) were shown a video about chiggers to replicate previous findings, while simultaneously studying the social influence of self-touching modeled by the presenter. A significant interaction was found as modeled self-touching significantly increased participants' self-touching when they were also attending to the video about chiggers. The results are discussed in terms of potential processes underlying this behavior and directions for research.
Butzen
Nathan David
ND
School of Psychology and Counseling, Regent University. P.O. Box 495019, Mount Berry, GA 30149-5019, USA.
Bissonnette
Victor
V
McBrayer
Dan
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012653:Self Stimulation; D012931:Social Environment; D014110:Touch; D014324:Trombiculidae