AGE, RELATIONSHIP, AND TOUCH INITIATION

Gender asymmetry in touch in U.S. populations is related to the age of the participants in some studies and to the relationships between the participants in others. In the present study, researchers observed dy ads in public settings in the United States frequented by couples and recorded the occurrence of touch, the touch initiator, and the body ar eas touched. The researchers then approached the couples and asked the m to complete questionnaires indicating their ages, their relationship , and their level of agreement on major issues. Age and relationship w ere predictive of the gender of touch initiators. Although levels of a greement were less predictive of touch initiation, the women indicated higher levels of agreement than the men did. The results were general ly consistent with a model of sex differences in reproductive strategi es.