You might want to grab a coworker’s attention or pat them on the back for a job well done but worry your touch may be misinterpreted. 

“People are concerned they may be imposing intimacy on a person if they touch them,” said Andrea Luangrath, a Tippie College of Business associate professor of marketing who studies how people respond to physical touch.  

Other issues need to be considered, also. Issues of harassment or intimidation. Religious and cultural norms. Gender and power dynamics. Extroverts are more likely to want to be touched; introverts are more likely to want others to just stay away. She said those nuances should be kept in mind when thinking about touching someone else.  

Despite all this, Luangrath’s studies suggest that a light touch on the upper arm is not as much of a negative as people think. Humans are a social species, after all. We crave physical contact. Touching helps build connections with others and releases endorphins that make us feel good. It breaks down barriers and can improve teamwork in the workplace.  

Luangrath said studies show that managers can build positive relationships and communicate support by using touch. A pat on the back can show that managers care about their employees and are concerned about their success.  

Of course, she says much of this willingness to be touched depends on where we’re being touched. Touching the head and neck could be perceived as threatening by our “lizard brains.” Touching the torso or lower back is too intimate. Touching the feet is just weird.  

In general, Luangrath said studies have found touching the hand, arm, or shoulder are the most acceptable.