Abstract
Social touch promotes psychological well-being through inducing positive effects on social affiliation and stress alleviation, especially in adolescence. However, there is a scarcity of instruments available for evaluating adolescents' attitudes toward social touch in China. The present study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Social Touch Questionnaire (STQ) in Chinese adolescents. A total of 2839 high school students were enrolled, ranging in age from 11 to 19 (Mean = 15.45, SD = 1.63). The dimensions of the scale were conducted by Exploratory factor analysis, and validated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A three-factor model showed the best fit and consisted of the following subgroups: Liking of informal social touch; Liking of general social touch; Dislike of social touch. The Cronbach’s alpha of the STQ was .707, and the test–retest reliability was .764 over a two-week interval. Furthermore, the positive associations were found between social touch and interaction anxiety (r = .488, p < .001), fear of negative evaluation (r = .239, p < .001), depressive (r = .214, p < .001) and anxiety symptoms (r = .147, p < .001), and sleep quality (r = .139, p < .001). Short-term prediction of 'Dislike of social touch' in anxiety symptoms was determined, while no significant predictor of depressive symptoms was found. The STQ demonstrates reliability and validity as a self-report questionnaire designed to assess behaviors and attitudes toward social touch. It effectively adapts to the nuances of the Chinese context among adolescents.