Tactile Biography Questionnaire: A contribution to its validation in an Italian sample

Isabella Lucia Chiara Mariani Wigley; Massimiliano Pastore; Eleonora Mascheroni; Marta Tremolada; Sabrina Bonichini; Rosario Montirosso

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274477

Tactile Biography Questionnaire: A contribution to its validation in an Italian sample

PLoS One. 2022 Sep 15;17(9):e0274477. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274477. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Isabella Lucia Chiara Mariani Wigley¹, Massimiliano Pastore¹, Eleonora Mascheroni², Marta Tremolada¹, Sabrina Bonichini¹, Rosario Montirosso²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
² 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.

Abstract

As the interest in the beneficial effects of positive touch experiences is rapidly growing, having reliable and valid tools to its assessment is essential. The Tactile Biography Questionnaire (TBQ) allows to quantify individual differences in affective touch experiences throughout life. The aim of this article is to present a contribution to its validation in the Italian population. Data analysis were run on a sample of 2040 Italian individuals (Females = 1342, 64%) participating in an on-line survey. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and invariance analyses for gender were applied. Concurrent validity was checked using two specific subscales of the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ-i.e., Family and Stranger). The four-dimensional structure of the TBQ was confirmed in the overall sample and by gender. Also, the TBQ showed an excellent internal consistency and a good concurrent validity with TAQ. The present study suggests that the TBQ can be used to support healthcare professionals and researchers to assess experiences of affective touch in different settings.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Psychometrics / methods
Reproducibility of Results
Surveys and Questionnaires
Touch*

Grants and funding

ILCMW was supported by the PhD scholarship of University of Padua, Padua, Italy. The contribution of EM was partially supported by Italian Ministry of Health grant# Ricerca Finalizzata SG-2018-12368279. The contribution of RM was partially supported by Italian Ministry of Health Ricerca Corrente 2021. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.