Touch
Touch in communication interaction is called haptics, and William Seiler and Melissa Beall [13] identify
five distinct types of touch, from impersonal to intimate,
Types of Touch
Term Definition
1. Functional-professional touch Medical examination, physical therapy, sports coach, music teacher
2. Social-polite touch Handshake
3. Friendship-warmth touch Hug
4. Love-intimacy touch Kiss between family members or romantic partners
5. Sexual-arousal touch Sexual caressing and intercourse
Touch can show warmth, love and caring for another. In a workplace setting, a social-polite touch, such as
a handshake, shows you are friendly and open to doing business with the other person.
Silence or vocal pauses can communicate hesitation, indicate the need to gather thought, or serve as a sign
of respect. Keith Basso quotes an anonymous source as stating, “It is not the case that a man who is silent
says nothing.” [14]Sometimes we learn just as much, or even more, from what a person does not say as
what they do say. In addition, both Basso and Susan Philips found that traditional speech among Native
Americans places a special emphasis on silence.
