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Participate in Our Studies

Watch out this space for news on studies you can participate in.

Do a Bachelor's or Master's Project With Us

Here is a list of ongoing projects you can apply for. If you have your own research idea that you want to develop, and an interest in affective touch and human-technology interactions, get in touch!

Ideal student’s background (depending on the specific project): psychology, neuroscience, computer science, data science, affective computing

Supervisor and contact: Dr. Irene Valori
Responsible Professor: Junior Professor Merle Fairhurst

Master's Projects

M01: Social touch perception in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

In collaboration with the Multiple Sklerose Zentrum Dresden, this project explores the role of social touch experiences and attitudes among patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Specifically, it investigates whether comfort provided through physical touch can alleviate stress and enhance the quality of the patient-practitioner care relationship. Additionally, the study examines the perception and effectiveness of technology-mediated touch interactions in telemedicine settings, addressing how such interactions may replicate or differ from in-person touch experiences. By integrating insights from social touch research and technological advancements, the project aims to contribute to more empathetic and effective care practices for MS patients.

M02: Thermal Rendering of Interpersonal Distance in VR

This project investigates the user experience of thermal feedback as an augmentation of interpersonal distance in virtual reality (VR). By rendering subtle temperature changes to simulate proximity between avatars, the study examines users' emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses to thermal cues. The goal is to unveil how thermal rendering influences the perception of interpersonal space, immersion, and social presence in VR environments, ultimately contributing to the development of meaningful virtual experiences.

M03: Social Touch in Isolated, Confined, and Extreme (ICE) Environments. Collaboration with the German Institute of Space Research (DLR)

In collaboration with the German Institute of Space Research (DLR), this project examines the effects of Isolated, Confined, and Extreme (ICE) environments—such as those encountered in space exploration—on social touch deprivation. The research investigates the impact of prolonged isolation on emotional well-being and interpersonal connection, as well as the potential benefits of mediated touch countermeasures. 

M04: Social touch to comfort: effects on stress parameters of the toucher

This project investigates how providing comforting touch influences the person who delivers it. While most research has focused on the recipient of touch, this study shifts the perspective to the toucher, exploring how empathetic engagement during social touch shapes their experience. Specifically, it examines whether offering comfort through touch reduces stress in the toucher and how these effects manifest on neural, physiological, and subjective levels. By linking empathy, stress regulation, and touch behaviors, the project seeks to clarify why humans instinctively use touch to support others and what benefits it may confer on the giver.

M05: Interpersonal social touch in Virtual Reality

The project investigates how people perceive interpersonal, social touch in Virtual Reality. The candidate for this student project can proficiently use Blender and Unity to create 360° scenarios and animations of avatars performing dynamic interpersonal tactile gestures (e.g. a gentle caress on the touchee’s arm). The student will also conduct lab-based experiments to test the scenarios with participants. 

M06: Pseudohaptic social touch: a neurophysiological study in Virtual Reality

The project investigates the power of pseudohaptic illusion of touch to facilitate interpersonal synchrony and social connection, ultimately reducing stress. Participants are immersed in dual-player virtual reality scenarios where they can freely explore touching one another. No haptic feedback is provided. Instead, multisensory augmentation and substitution are used to create new, beautiful experiences of interpersonal contact. Subjective ratings (pleasantness, realism and emotional content), kinematics, physiological responses (heart rate), and neural activity (fNIRS) are measured. Target populations include adolescents. 

Bachelor's Projects

B01: Social touch as a source of comfort: the role of empathy and individual differences in the toucher

This project experimentally investigates how providing comforting touch influences the person who delivers it. While most research has focused on the recipient, this study examines the toucher, with an emphasis on empathy and the role of individual differences. Conducted as an online experiment on Gorilla, participants will be presented with scenarios simulating comforting touch interactions. Subjective measures will be collected, including self-reported stress, emotional state, and empathic concern, alongside trait-level assessments such as dispositional empathy, touch attitudes, and stress sensitivity.

B02: Cultural differences in social touch behaviour

The project investigates the role of in-group/out-group dynamics in shaping the way people use affective touch. Using the online experimental platform Gorilla.sc, students will design and implement a new empirical study investigating cultural differences in the way individuals touch others in different situations (to express different emotional meanings, on different body areas, depending on the touchee’s demographic characteristics). Participants will imagine touching others in different contexts and simulate touching them by interacting with a touch-screen. Touch behaviour (e.g., kinematics of touch-screen stroking) will be measured.

B03: Movement dynamics of social touch: kinematic profiles of different touch behaviours

The project investigates the kinematic characteristics of social touch. Students will conduct a literature review on how motor parameters help us understand the processes and meanings behind touch behaviours. They will review literature on research questions such as: What are the motor, kinematic parameters that describe affective touch? Do we touch objects or social others differently? Does touch look different when used to express different emotional meanings? Do we move differently when touching different body areas of other people? Do we move differently when touching others according to the type of relationship (e.g. familiarity, trust)?

Taking a step towards applying this knowledge for the promotion of people’s mental health and well-being, the students will help develop and implement use cases to promote social connection through sensory information in telecommunication.