Review of Literature Addressing Biological and Social Responses to Touch: Instructional Implications

Abstract

Introduction: Recent trends in training teachers of students who are blind or have low vision (i.e., those who are visually impaired) have shifted away from traditional hand-over-hand guidance and toward a hand-under-hand approach. However, a search for peer-reviewed studies that address the effects of the use of hand-under-hand versus hand-over-hand instructional techniques often yields few results. This article examines literature on tactile receptors in the human integumentary system and how different forms of touch may affect tactile learning. Methods: The authors used a purposive search of literature using key words and phrases associated with different forms of touch to examine literature on the effects of touch from the perspectives of both the biological and social sciences. Results: Much of the neurological and sociological research that was revealed in this study tended to support the anecdotal evidence from practitioners who have described learners developing a greater sense of autonomy, independence, and connectedness when they are able to control their own body. Discussion: Literature cited in this study indicates that repeated use of controlling forms of touch may inhibit learning through the discriminative tactile system. In addition, the authors describe literature indicating that implicit social messages conveyed through controlling touch may perpetuate stereotypes of individuals with visual impairments as dependent on sighted people and create social barriers to independence.