How People with Amputation Interpret Emotions from Touch in Paintings Across Different Social Affective Contexts ?dissertationsXu, Zhouwenqi(Nick)creatorCross, EmilyAdvisorLoucks, EricReaderBara, IonelaReaderBrown University. School of Public Healthsponsor2026, 71 p.born digitalThesis (M. P. H.)--Brown University, 2026thesesTouch, as a non-verbal social language, plays an important role in social life. Social touch helps individuals communicate emotions with each other. However, it remains unclear how people with amputation interpret emotions from social touch across different social-affective contexts. The present study investigated how people with amputation interpret emotions from social touch in classic paintings. Through 30 European academic paintings (15 touch and 15 non-touch), 34 participants with unilateral transradial amputation in Italy were asked to self-report emotional valence, emotional arousal, and aesthetic appreciation for each painting. The final sample size was 22. Results showed that participants perceived paintings with social touch as more pleasant, having greater emotional arousal, and being more aesthetic in comparison to paintings without touch. Secondly, the interpretation of emotional valence from social touch varied across different social-affective contexts (Maternal, Friendly, and Romantic). Lastly, the study found a significant positive association between emotional valence, emotional arousal, and aesthetic appreciation in both types of paintings. This study contributes to a further understanding of the social world of people with amputation and lays the foundation for future research to develop social and emotional support interventions.Public healthSocial perceptionSocial psychologyVisual perceptiondisabilityemotionsAestheticsNeuropsychologyAffect (Psychology)TouchCognitive psychologyarousalAmputationPaintingsNeuroaestheticsEmotions in artEmotional ArousalEmotional ValenceEnglishRPB20260516