Measurement of the sensory qualities in tactile interaction.

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of a measure of the sensory qualities of touch: the Tactile Interaction Index (TII). The measure includes a coding system for analyzing the location, action, intensity, and duration of touch used within interactions as well as training videotapes that operationally define the qualities of touch. Concurrent validity was established by comparing the TII scores of 14 trained observers with the scores of 16 individuals who had actually used the touch being coded. Construct validity was supported by evidence that individuals who reported greater amounts of touch in their lives and more satisfaction with touch they experienced as a child received TII scores indicating more extensive and more varied use of touch in observed interactions. Reliability was demonstrated by agreement among trained observers in their coding of tactile interactions and by stable coding scores for the same videotaped interactions at one-month intervals.