A warm touch of affect?

Abstract

One of the research areas within affective Computer Mediated Communication currently under investigation is that of mediated social touch. A social touch is a complex composition of different physical parameters that can be simulated by haptic technologies. In this article we argue why we think it makes sense to incorporate warmth - and in particular simulations of one's body heat - in mediated communication devices; that is, physical warmth affects perceptions of social warmth, and our skin temperature can be considered a display of our socio-emotional state. Moreover, we outline specific research domains for the current PhD project.