Study claims lack of face to face interaction bad for longterm health. | INFJ Forum

Study claims lack of face to face interaction bad for longterm health.

M

Mux

Community Member
Nov 19, 2008
146
6
175
MBTI
INTJ/INFJ
I find this incredibly hard to believe (or accept), but Dr Aric Sigman claims that a lack of physical social contact actually causes longterm health problems, in this article in the Institute of Biology Journal. Im hoping you can all critique this honestly. Heck I would even love to see a biased and reactionary rebuttal from someone, as its quite depressing stuff to read however true it may be...But on the other hand it points to lifestyle solutions that could help us all live longer, if we are prepared to change some psychological aspects of ourselves. What is your opinion of this? Are the studies referenced in Dr Sigmans article simply coincidence? Are they flawed studies somehow?

See here http://www.iob.org/news.asp?section=news/2009&article=sigman_article.xml (PDF reader required)

or here for a non PDF overview.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0902/S00045.htm
 
Well, I could have told you that :)
 
Pristinegirl said:
Actually this is valid, sorry to dissapoint you. It can also be seen in infants, if they are not touched, by e.g. cuddling or carried - they die.
Click to expand...

Yes, I find that facenating. I remember when I was little and my mom told me about that. I was just amazed and just further proved to me the importance of love and care. Stupid me though, I go an echo this to my dad and he called it hogwash. lol.
 
IndigoSensor said:
Yes, I find that facenating. I remember when I was little and my mom told me about that. I was just amazed and just further proved to me the importance of love and care. Stupid me though, I go an echo this to my dad and he called it hogwash. lol.
Click to expand...


Aaaww is your dad a T perhaps haha? Anyway he is wrong and as long as you know in your heart that love and care is fundamental then all is good.

Also I know what it is like to want others to understand and feel the same way you do and no matter how hard you try to explain and convey - they will just never get it xD My mom's a T, so this happens alot haha.
 
Pristinegirl said:
Aaaww is your dad a T perhaps haha? Anyway he is wrong and as long as you know in your heart that love and care is fundamental then all is good.

Also I know what it is like to want others to understand and feel the same way you do and no matter how hard you try to explain and convey - they will just never get it xD My mom's a T, so this happens alot haha.
Click to expand...

My dad is a bad example of an ESTJ.
 
Mux said:
I find this incredibly hard to believe (or accept), but Dr Aric Sigman claims that a lack of physical social contact actually causes longterm health problems, in this article in the Institute of Biology Journal. Im hoping you can all critique this honestly. Heck I would even love to see a biased and reactionary rebuttal from someone, as its quite depressing stuff to read however true it may be...But on the other hand it points to lifestyle solutions that could help us all live longer, if we are prepared to change some psychological aspects of ourselves. What is your opinion of this? Are the studies referenced in Dr Sigmans article simply coincidence? Are they flawed studies somehow?

See here http://www.iob.org/news.asp?section=news/2009&article=sigman_article.xml (PDF reader required)

or here for a non PDF overview.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0902/S00045.htm
Click to expand...

Well, I looked at the non PDF thing and if it helps, I didn't see any evidence at all of any of the claims. I am not a very social person myself and I virtually never get sick. People at work sometimes tease me, and call me an alien because I never get sick or angry. I am not touch adverse either and if I sense a hug or a some sort of touch is in order, I am happy to participate, but I think I could be happy without that as well. But, I am also a grown up person, not a child. I think Pristine is right about children needing touch. For me personally, physical touch is a nice touch, but emotional connection and mental connection is the more deeply appreciated and rewarding. Physical touch is just the simplest way to express that. I also think that with grown-ups this becomes something really so subtle. Children learn tenderness and care and self-acceptance and trustingness through proper touch that exemplifies such, but they also learn fear and nontrust through touch that does not exemplify this in my opinion. Touch can be very powerful in both ways.
 
I agree strongly with you Mayflow. Sometimes non-physical touch, for example an intense emotional connection between four eyes says so much more than that of a physical touch. As suggested, with children it is essential, however when the vital phase of touch has passed then the child will no longer die without touch. However, it may have a mental and emotional effect. Also it may develope defense mechanism which are kept untill adulthood and in adulthood independence has fairly been attained in most cases. Although if loneliness and depression is considered to be unhealthy, they may have a connection to touch.

*Love this topic*
 
Pristinegirl said:
Oh my its worse for you than me, I reckon. My mother is an ENTJ.
It must be really hard on you, Isnt he like your living shadow also in that case? (ESTJ)
Click to expand...

Oh god yes, I don't let him though. Cause I simply won't do the things he wants to do.
 
well crap...all us shut ins are effed....LAME!!
 
I believe that it will have an effect on the mental/ emotional mind yes and at a vital age of an infant but not biologically on genes and such. Also I find that the term 'health' is loosely used in the article, so I am unsure what to think of what it refers to.

Take for example 'sensory deprivation tanks' where no interaction at all with anything occurs. It is common to hallucinate and see kaleidoscopic images. Maybe the same would occur without human social interactions. Because that is even a symptom in schizophrenia. So in such a case it would have an impact on health but mental health.
 
I haven't read the article Mux. It does seem rather obvious that physical contact affects long-term health.

I think the degree to which it applies is the degree to which someone benefits from being around others/having physical contact versus someone who needs time by themselves more. It can only be generalized as much as people can be generalized.
 
mayflow said:
Well, I looked at the non PDF thing and if it helps, I didn't see any evidence at all of any of the claims. I am not a very social person myself and I virtually never get sick. People at work sometimes tease me, and call me an alien because I never get sick or angry. I am not touch adverse either and if I sense a hug or a some sort of touch is in order, I am happy to participate, but I think I could be happy without that as well. But, I am also a grown up person, not a child. I think Pristine is right about children needing touch. For me personally, physical touch is a nice touch, but emotional connection and mental connection is the more deeply appreciated and rewarding. Physical touch is just the simplest way to express that. I also think that with grown-ups this becomes something really so subtle. Children learn tenderness and care and self-acceptance and trustingness through proper touch that exemplifies such, but they also learn fear and nontrust through touch that does not exemplify this in my opinion. Touch can be very powerful in both ways.
Click to expand...
Well said May!

I am a believer and a non-believer on this topic. Obviously humans are social creatures who thrive on positive interaction. But when the interactions are negative or chaotic consistently, that creates illness (physical or mental.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back