Papers
2
Total Citations
44
H-Index
2
About
Oscar Lai’s research lies at the intersection of affective neuroscience and social touch, exploring how tactile experiences shape human emotion and social bonding. His work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of sex differences in affective touch, particularly how sensory pleasantness and social comfort vary between males and females. In his highly cited 2022 paper (30 citations), Lai demonstrated that precursive experiences and biological sex modulate the perception of gentle stroking, challenging earlier assumptions of universal touch processing. His subsequent study (14 citations) critically examined the inverted u-shaped relationship between stroking velocity and pleasantness, revealing that stroking trajectory and force dynamics—often overlooked in rotary tactile stimulator (RTS) studies—significantly alter tactile percepts. By identifying how velocity effects depend on movement path and pressure, Lai has refined the methodological foundations of touch research. His contributions have direct implications for understanding social touch in neurodevelopmental conditions and designing therapeutic interventions. With his work gaining traction across psychology, neuroscience, and human-computer interaction, Lai is establishing himself as a key voice in the science of human connection through touch.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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