A woman's touch tends to make us feel secure and increases our risk tolerance as a result, according to a new study in Psychological science. The authors believe this soothing effect originates during infancy, when children have a lot of physical contact with their mothers.

During the study, if a female experimenter patted a participant on the back, they'd risk more money on an investment or gamble than if she just talked to them, or if a man did the patting.

When we are infants, we receive a lot of touch from our mothers. This creates a sense of attachment, which makes a baby feel secure. This helps the youngster's sense of adventure; they're more willing to take the risks that come with exploring unfamiliar contexts and strange situations. Jonathan Levav of Columbia University and Jennifer J. Argo of the University of Alberta suggest that people are affected the same way when they grow up.
 
Participants were tested to see if they would take risks, such as investing money or taking a gamble. When they started the experiment, they were greeted in different ways: by a female or male experimenter and with a light, comforting touch on the shoulder, a handshake, or no physical contact at all.

At the end of the experiment, they also filled out surveys that assessed how secure they felt. The researchers found that participants who were touched felt more secure and took bigger risks than those who weren't – but only if they were touched by a woman. The effect was stronger for a touch on the back than for a handshake, but went away entirely for participants who were touched by a man.




Citation: Jonathan Levav, Jennifer J. Argo, 'Physical Contact and Financial Risk Taking', Psychological Science, April 2010; doi: 10.1177/0956797610369493