It might be as simple as a pat on the back, or a supportive touch on the arm, or one of those flying shoulder bumps. These gestures may seem small, but research shows more and more that touch is a powerful way to communicate emotion. Could TOUCH be the key to a championship?
The Dallas Mavericks are now leading the Heat 3-2 in their series…. They’re also leading in TOUCHES.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Dallas has had 250 “instances of televised contact” compared with Miami’s 134. The contact could be as simple as a high-five, as aggressive as a chest bump or as intimate as a butt slap.
“Touch instills trust,” Dacher Keltner, a scientist from the University of California, Berkeley says.. “It contagiously spreads good will; it makes players play better on behalf of each other.”
Touch can trigger the release of oxytocin in the brain, a chemical that induces trust. Researchers say anyone can use the power of trust in everyday life. However, don’t over do it. There’s a time and place for everything. For example, you don’t want to go up to a random woman and touch her ass. If anything, the power of touch should be used as an encouragement tool… Perfect coincidence. Game 3 of the Mavs/Heat series, just minutes after Chris Bosh gave Dwyane Wade those two reassuring taps, Bosh hit the game-winning basket. See highlights of this game below.
