August 5, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Matthew J. Hertenstein, associate professor
of psychology at DePauw University, is co-editor of The Handbook of Touch: Neuroscience, Behavioral, and Health Perspectives. Published by Springer, the book is a collaboration with Sandra J. Weiss, professor in the department of community health systems and Robert C. & Delphine Wentland Eschbach Endowed Chair at the University of California - San Francisco.
"Touch has received increased attention over the last few decades, with growing recognition of its profound import to all facets of life," notes the publisher. "The Handbook of Touch is the first authoritative, state-of-the-art resource for scientists, scholars, and students interested in the neurobehavioral foundations of touch and its many applications. This text provides an in-depth overview of the conceptual and empirical scope of the field. Chapters are written by a cadre of internationally known experts on touch, representing an expansive breadth of knowledge from behavioral, health, and neuroscience disciplines."
Learn more and order the book at Amazon.com.
Professor Matt Hertenstein's research on communicating through touch led to a September 20, 2010 NPR piece and an interview by ABC's Diane Sawyer, as well as a piece in the New York Times.
A study on smiling in yearbook photos and whether subjects became divorced later in life, which was conducted by Dr. Hertenstein and DePauw students, received worldwide attention in the Spring of 2009. The research was first published in the journal Motivation and Emotion. Coverage began in British media outlets, and spread to United Press International, Yahoo! and a piece which aired April 16, 2009 on NBC's Today. The research was included in the New York Times Magazine's "Ninth Annual Year in Ideas" and was cited by the India Times, New Scientist and British Columbia's Province.
Visit Matt Hertenstein's Emotion Lab online by clicking here.