Measuring differences in social touch: Development and validation of the short Touch Experiences and Attitudes Questionnaire (TEAQ-s)

Interpersonal touch is an essential part of human social life, impacting emotional and physical well-being. Variations in touch behavior and perception can be assessed by the Touch Experiences and Attitudes Questionnaire (TEAQ) . Although comprehensive, the TEAQ appears lengthy with 57 items, limiting its usability for large surveys. Therefore, we developed a refined and shortened version of 16 items, tested in Germany and France. This manuscript presents three studies. In the first, we created the TEAQ-s ( n = 313). In the second and third, we validated the TEAQ-s in German ( n = 383) and French ( n = 327), respectively. The resulting TEAQ-s showed strong reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.86 to 0.87; test-retest correlation: r = 0.85) and validity consistent with the original version. Analyses also revealed that being in a relationship, relationship satisfaction, mental health, and body appreciation were positively related to touch experiences and attitudes. A four-factor structure (4 items per scale) was confirmed through factor analysis. Final subscales are attitude to friendly touch , current intimate touch , childhood touch , and attitude to intimate touch . We hope that the TEAQ-s serves as a valuable tool for researchers in the field of touch and beyond, offering well-founded items in an efficient format. • To facilitate large-scale studies on social touch, we developed the short TEAQ-s. • The questionnaire was validated in three studies including 1023 participants. • Test-retest reliability was 0.85 in the German and French version. • Cronbach's alpha and validity results were consistent with longer TEAQ versions. • Scores were positively related to mental health and body appreciation.