A brief touch to the shoulder or upper arm increases people's helping behavior and willingness to comply with requests. In this manuscript, we investigate whether this well-known Midas touch effect is also operative in mediated interactions where the touch act is replaced by electromechanical stimulation through a tactile display. With two experiments (one with an informed and one with a blind confederate) and a meta-analysis, we demonstrate that stimulation through a tactile display can induce similar helping behavior as actual interpersonal physical contact. This virtual Midas touch effect suggests that electromechanical stimuli are processed in ways similar to actual touch. Our experiments thus have important implications for the design of communication media, which, to date, do not support physical contact. At the same time, the results illustrate the promising use of tactile displays in touch research, for example, to avoid the confederate bias intrinsic to studies in naturalistic settings.

Antal Haans

Renske de Bruijn

Wijnand A. IJsselsteijn

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior

JOURNAL OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR 对非语言行为的所有主要领域进行了同行评审的原创理论和实证研究。具体主题包括副语言、近义词、面部表情、眼神交流、面对面互动和非语言情感表达，以及有助于科学理解非语言过程和行为的其他主题。

The Journal of Nonverbal Behavior is a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on all major areas of nonverbal behavior, publishing original theoretical and empirical research. Specific topics include paralinguistics, synonyms, facial expressions, eye contact, face-to-face interactions, and nonverbal emotional expression, as well as other themes that contribute to the scientific understanding of nonverbal processes and behaviors.

《Journal of Nonverbal Behavior》是一本经过同行评审的期刊，专注于非语言行为的各个主要领域，发表原创的理论和实证研究。具体主题包括副语言、同义词、面部表情、眼神交流、面对面互动以及非语言情感表达等。此外，期刊还涵盖其他有助于科学理解非语言过程和行为的相关主题。

J Nonverbal Behav

A Virtual Midas Touch? Touch, Compliance, and Confederate Bias in Mediated Communication

It is demonstrated that stimulation through a tactile display can induce similar helping behavior as actual interpersonal physical contact, and this virtual Midas touch effect suggests that electromechanical stimuli are processed in ways similar to actual touch.

Category	Quartile
心理学	3
心理学, 心理学社会	4

A Virtual Midas Touch? Touch, Compliance, and Confederate Bias in Mediated Communication

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL	4