Affective Touch in Haptic Interfaces, a Preliminary Study of Textures
摘要
Affective touch plays a fundamental role in physical homeostasis and social well-being, differing from discriminative touch via its intrinsic connection to neurobiological reward and emotional regulation systems. This mechanism functions as a stress buffer by attenuating physiological reactivity and promoting states of psychological safety. Although it has traditionally been associated with the stimulation of hairy skin, recent research suggests that haptic interfaces can also modulate user valence and arousal. Within this framework, the proposed experiment studies tactile stimuli generated by a force-feedback haptic system to identify which specific haptic properties elicit positive emotional responses and modulate user affective state. Rather than assessing stable predispositions, the present study investigates immediate reactivity (state anxiety) to these force-rendered stimuli using a questionnaire based on the arousal dimension (calmness–activation). The resulting texture selection should be understood as a preliminary step that can subsequently inform the design and development of more complex haptic systems.