The power of touch, from brain chemicals to asking someone to dance

Ever wonder why e-mail brings out the bully in so many? It is chemical. At least according to an article by Edward M. Hallowell from the January/February 1999 issue of the Harvard Business Review, "The Human Moment at Work." (It's funny what you find when cleaning out a closet.) Anyway, Hallowell writes that nature provides people with two hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, which promote trust and bonding. But here's the rub: The hormones are released when we deal with others face to face; they are suppressed when we are physically apart, as with e-mails or texting. Also, face-to-face dealings stimulate the release of dopamine, which enhances attention, and serotonin, which reduces fear and worry. Taking this one step further, a light touch on a person's upper arm makes you more likeable, according to research described by Richard Wiseman in "59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot." Here is the experiment: A male researcher goes to a nightclub and asks a woman to dance; he sometimes accompanies his request by a light touch on her upper arm and sometimes he doesn’t. Did the touch make a difference in whether she said yes? Sure did, with a 43 percent “yes” rate when not touched, rocketing to a 65 percent “yes” rate with even the lightest of touches.(Now that I got that down, I just need to learn to dance.) The bottom line from all this: Lawyers should remember that they, their clients and their employees are social creatures, no more so than at work. Are you still not convinced? Check out Bob Sutton's insightful commentary on a new study on how teams in the NBA play better when the players touch one on a regular basis.