Functional intimacy

Needing—But not wanting—The touch of a stranger

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6206007
AutoresJonathan Schroeder (0000-0002-0538-0730, University of California, Berkeley), Juliana Schroeder, Ayelet Fishbach (0000-0001-7923-4237, Booth University College), Chelsea Schein (0000-0003-3846-0400, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Kurt Gray (0000-0001-5816-2676, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Ano2017
Volume113
Fascículo6
Páginas910-924
Data de publicação2017-12-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
EditoraAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/pspi0000104
PMID28627917
OpenAlexW2697407365
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas34

Intimacy is often motivated by love, but sometimes it is merely functional. For example, disrobing and being touched at an airport security check serves the goal of catching a flight, not building a relationship. We propose that this functional intimacy induces discomfort, making people prefer greater social distance from their interaction partner. Supporting this prediction, participants who considered (Experiments 1 and 2) or experienced (Experiment 3) more physically intimate medical procedures preferred a health provider who is less social. Increased psychological intimacy also led people to prefer social distance from cleaning and health providers (Experiments 4-5), a preference revealed by nonverbal behavior (e.g., turning away and looking away, Experiments 6-7). These patterns of distancing are unique to functional (vs. romantic) intimacy (Experiment 7). Although creating social distance may be an effective strategy for coping with functional intimacy, it may have costs for service providers. (PsycINFO Database Record

Construal level theory · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Developmental psychology · Distancing · Functional analysis · MEDLINE · Nonverbal communication · Preference · PsycINFO · Romance · Service (business) · Service provider · Social distance · Social relation · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Psychology · Psychology of Social Influence · Social Psychology