Clare Cham
Papers
2
Total Citations
44
H-Index
2
About
Clare Cham’s research lies at the intersection of affective touch, sensory perception, and social neuroscience, with a particular focus on how sex and individual differences shape our experience of tactile pleasantness. Her work challenges long-held assumptions about the universality of touch perception, revealing that factors like stroking trajectory and velocity interact in complex ways to influence sensory and emotional responses. In her highly cited 2022 study (30 citations), Cham demonstrated that sex differences significantly modulate the pleasantness of affective touch, linking sensory experience to social comfort and early life tactile experiences. Her follow-up work (14 citations) critically examined the inverted u-shaped relationship between stroking velocity and pleasantness, showing that the trajectory of stroking—not just speed—alters perceived pleasantness, and that findings from rotary tactile stimulators may not generalize to naturalistic touch. By integrating psychophysical methods with real-world implications, Cham’s contributions are reshaping our understanding of how touch communicates emotion and social connection. Her research is essential reading for students and scholars in affective science, haptics, and social neuroscience, offering a nuanced view of one of our most fundamental senses.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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