Touch Memories and the Influence of Gender

Authors: DeLong, Marilyn; Park, Juyeon

Source: The Senses and Society, Volume 3, Number 1, March 2008 , pp. 23-43(21)

Publisher: Berg Publishers

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Abstract:

The way we perceive and experience touch is a first step in understanding how touch influences design and designers. Early memories of touch were explored among male and female design students taking classes at a large US metropolitan university. Male and female students were compared in terms of recall of what was touched and how it felt. Response categories of what was touched were similar between males and females, although contexts and exposures differed. Specific sensations were analyzed and categorized. Results pointed to the influence of a gender discourse within a culture that takes place in defining touch experiences more than differences arising from being male or female. Experiences of touch need to be expanded, made explicit, and understood in terms of design and creativity.

Keywords: TOUCH; GENDER; MEMORY; SENSATION; DESIGN

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.2752/174589308X266452

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