**1. Introduction**

The world of student recruitment has forever changed. Success now demands more complex and inclusive planning. Past efforts have long been guided by the concept that expanding the number of applications into the recruitment funnel will ultimately lead to an increase in the number of new student enrollments falling out of the recruitment funnel. While expanded outreach will at times lead to expanded enrollment, the past two to three decades have rocked the world of student recruitment with ever changing and unpredictable results. Outdated and simplistic recruitment strategies have been invalidated in the modern era of globalization. The information explosion brought on by emerging technological advances has increased competition for market share and has forever changed student recruitment [1].

The digital age has engendered an arms race as institutions face challengers to and competition for the recruitment markets they once owned. In the struggle to hold or obtain market share, past approaches are often found wanting. Once solid methodologies are no longer effective and often require extensive broadening and restructuring. That which worked well in the past, likely demands redesign and careful incorporation of wider aspects of student life into the overall process of student recruitment. Successful efforts find it necessary to outstrip competitors and must empower a more complete picture of student engagement and matriculation. The new reality for general student recruitment is exponentially true for international student recruitment. Today's recruiters working the international market find themselves in a new era filled with new challenges. These new challenges require new strategies, integrated methodologies, and a broader vision of that which constitutes student recruitment. Success requires that the recruiters of international students must distinguish themselves for the crowd with high quality, integrated services. This is where full funnel enrollment management comes into play.

#### **1.1 The full funnel approach**

Student recruitment has often been represented by a funnel as a means of illustrating the idea that if more is poured into the funnel more will flow out of the funnel [2, 3]. The full funnel enrollment management approach acknowledges that the recruitment process involves much more than simple in-flow and outflow of applications magically transforming prospects into students. Full funnel enrollment management recognizes that attracting students to an institution is a very complex process involving a wide-range of precarious interactions. Simply put, restriction in any part of the funnel holds the capability of making increased outreach meaningless. Full funnel enrollment management is very cognizant of this reality and acts accordingly. Where recruitment is concerned, everything matters. The entire flow from initial contact through graduation and involvement in alumni affairs is part of recruitment. Everything must be considered. Nothing can be ignored. Nothing can be taken for granted. Full funnel enrollment management considers the total student experience as part of the recruitment process and assures that every aspect of exposure to the institution is appropriate and well thought out.

#### **1.2 A stranger in a strange land**

Consider the plight of an international student planning to study in your institution. Have you ever been a stranger in a strange land? What did you need to know? Could you speak the language? Did you need a guide? What were your concerns? Did anyone help you during this time? What were your challenges? How were they overcome?

This international applicant is now a stranger in a strange land. Put yourself in his or her place. Even those daily life routines easily solved by native students may prove ominous and difficult as he or she struggles to learn the basic survival techniques that others take for granted. For example, he or she may have many of the following questions. Where will I live? How do I get a telephone? How do I contact my family? Who do I call if I have an emergency? How do I get around? Where do I buy groceries? How do I get to the grocery store to buy groceries? What will I do on the weekends? What is there to do here? How do I access the money my parents have sent to me? These sorts of questions can yield to even more difficult questions as students face the demands for paperwork and documentation. How do I contact my Embassy? How do I get my visa? How do I get evidence of my past school work? Who is going to help me? The list of potential questions is endless. If you were this student, what would your questions be?

Now consider the plight of a parent who is allowing his or her beloved child to become a stranger in a strange land. Does the institution provide for the care and safety of my child? What does my child do if they get sick? What is your learning environment like? Will my son or daughter have adequate oversight while part of your institution? How will you help my son or daughter survive the transition into your institution? Do these people even care about my child? Again, the list of potential questions is endless. If you were a parent facing the same circumstances, what would you want to know?

**39**

*Full Funnel International Enrollment Management DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84755*

**1.3 The human element**

Add to these issues the realization that the identified questions only involve the things that the student and parent know. What about all of the cultural issues and social mores that they do not know? What about the things that they do not even know that they do not know? How will they be helped? Who will help them? What is your plan to guide the student's matriculation into your institution? What is your plan to guide the parent's understanding and utilization of your services? What will you do to keep the student from getting home-sick and wanting to go back home to their family? Though these questions are complex and may never be fully answered, of a certainly, they will not be answered without full consideration of the issues involved. Put yourself in the place of the student and parent. Consider their needs and go to work meeting those needs. Now watch your enrollment numbers climb.

Begin your journey into full funnel enrollment management by considering the importance of the human element. Is a stranger in a strange land likely to appreciate a friend who shows up to help them? Will that friend be able to gain the strangers confidence and guide the stranger towards successful matriculation? The answers to these questions are most definitely affirmative. A friendly and knowledgeable person in the right place at the right time with the right answers is always a welcome

Students love hearing from other students. Parents like meeting administrators and the people in charge of the organization. Students trust other students but may be dubious of the older generation. Parents like other students and other young people; however, they trust those of their own generation. Students want excite-

Students want to hear from athletes, student government personnel, other students, and those their own age. Parents want to hear from Presidents, Provosts, Deans, Directors, and those with authority. Students are seeking colleagues. Parents are seeking accountability. Students are interested in the fun things that are available. Parents seek assurance as to the veracity of the pending financial investment with your institution. Pleasant discourse with a parent is never wasted. Hearing the following from an authority figures might make a difference, "Let me welcome you to XYZ University. We are always delighted to have parents on our campus. Parents pay tuition. Tuition pays our salaries. Remember that all of us work for you, and we are here to help if you need us." While the parent may smile in response to this statement, the message has been conveyed. We care about what you think. We are here to

Full funnel enrollment management provides assurance to both parties. Current students and staff members are involved in the recruitment process. Authorities are involved in the recruitment process. Recruitment is everyone's business. Current students and staff members can enthusiastically discuss the awesomeness of campus life. Authorities can thank parents for sharing their son or daughter with the institution and provide a face, name, and contact through which the parent's anxiety can be alleviated. Members of the SGA can talk about activities and student trips. Authorities can provide parents with a coffee cup to let them know that the institution is one of quality and is a great investment in the future of their child.

Whether a current student, staff member or administrator, young or old, always

remember to smile. Make a concerted effort to project a pleasant demeanor to everyone at all times. A friendly and helpful persona is essential to assuring those who are strangers in a strange land. The human smile is the greatest form of assurance that could possibly be provide to both students and parents. Likewise, be aware that the first impression is important. No one gets get a second chance to make a

sight. Now consider the expectations of potential students and their parents.

ment and enthusiasm. Parents want responsibility and accountability.

meet your needs. Feel free to ask us for help.

*Full Funnel International Enrollment Management DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84755*

Add to these issues the realization that the identified questions only involve the things that the student and parent know. What about all of the cultural issues and social mores that they do not know? What about the things that they do not even know that they do not know? How will they be helped? Who will help them? What is your plan to guide the student's matriculation into your institution? What is your plan to guide the parent's understanding and utilization of your services? What will you do to keep the student from getting home-sick and wanting to go back home to their family? Though these questions are complex and may never be fully answered, of a certainly, they will not be answered without full consideration of the issues involved. Put yourself in the place of the student and parent. Consider their needs and go to work meeting those needs. Now watch your enrollment numbers climb.

#### **1.3 The human element**

*Education Systems Around the World*

**1.1 The full funnel approach**

thought out.

overcome?

**1.2 A stranger in a strange land**

student, what would your questions be?

what would you want to know?

themselves in a new era filled with new challenges. These new challenges require new strategies, integrated methodologies, and a broader vision of that which constitutes student recruitment. Success requires that the recruiters of international students must distinguish themselves for the crowd with high quality, integrated services. This is where full funnel enrollment management comes into play.

Student recruitment has often been represented by a funnel as a means of illustrating the idea that if more is poured into the funnel more will flow out of the funnel [2, 3]. The full funnel enrollment management approach acknowledges that the recruitment process involves much more than simple in-flow and outflow of applications magically transforming prospects into students. Full funnel enrollment management recognizes that attracting students to an institution is a very complex process involving a wide-range of precarious interactions. Simply put, restriction in any part of the funnel holds the capability of making increased outreach meaningless. Full funnel enrollment management is very cognizant of this reality and acts accordingly. Where recruitment is concerned, everything matters. The entire flow from initial contact through graduation and involvement in alumni affairs is part of recruitment. Everything must be considered. Nothing can be ignored. Nothing can be taken for granted. Full funnel enrollment management considers the total student experience as part of the recruitment process and assures that every aspect of exposure to the institution is appropriate and well

Consider the plight of an international student planning to study in your institution. Have you ever been a stranger in a strange land? What did you need to know? Could you speak the language? Did you need a guide? What were your concerns? Did anyone help you during this time? What were your challenges? How were they

This international applicant is now a stranger in a strange land. Put yourself in his or her place. Even those daily life routines easily solved by native students may prove ominous and difficult as he or she struggles to learn the basic survival techniques that others take for granted. For example, he or she may have many of the following questions. Where will I live? How do I get a telephone? How do I contact my family? Who do I call if I have an emergency? How do I get around? Where do I buy groceries? How do I get to the grocery store to buy groceries? What will I do on the weekends? What is there to do here? How do I access the money my parents have sent to me? These sorts of questions can yield to even more difficult questions as students face the demands for paperwork and documentation. How do I contact my Embassy? How do I get my visa? How do I get evidence of my past school work? Who is going to help me? The list of potential questions is endless. If you were this

Now consider the plight of a parent who is allowing his or her beloved child to become a stranger in a strange land. Does the institution provide for the care and safety of my child? What does my child do if they get sick? What is your learning environment like? Will my son or daughter have adequate oversight while part of your institution? How will you help my son or daughter survive the transition into your institution? Do these people even care about my child? Again, the list of potential questions is endless. If you were a parent facing the same circumstances,

**38**

Begin your journey into full funnel enrollment management by considering the importance of the human element. Is a stranger in a strange land likely to appreciate a friend who shows up to help them? Will that friend be able to gain the strangers confidence and guide the stranger towards successful matriculation? The answers to these questions are most definitely affirmative. A friendly and knowledgeable person in the right place at the right time with the right answers is always a welcome sight. Now consider the expectations of potential students and their parents.

Students love hearing from other students. Parents like meeting administrators and the people in charge of the organization. Students trust other students but may be dubious of the older generation. Parents like other students and other young people; however, they trust those of their own generation. Students want excitement and enthusiasm. Parents want responsibility and accountability.

Students want to hear from athletes, student government personnel, other students, and those their own age. Parents want to hear from Presidents, Provosts, Deans, Directors, and those with authority. Students are seeking colleagues. Parents are seeking accountability. Students are interested in the fun things that are available. Parents seek assurance as to the veracity of the pending financial investment with your institution. Pleasant discourse with a parent is never wasted. Hearing the following from an authority figures might make a difference, "Let me welcome you to XYZ University. We are always delighted to have parents on our campus. Parents pay tuition. Tuition pays our salaries. Remember that all of us work for you, and we are here to help if you need us." While the parent may smile in response to this statement, the message has been conveyed. We care about what you think. We are here to meet your needs. Feel free to ask us for help.

Full funnel enrollment management provides assurance to both parties. Current students and staff members are involved in the recruitment process. Authorities are involved in the recruitment process. Recruitment is everyone's business. Current students and staff members can enthusiastically discuss the awesomeness of campus life. Authorities can thank parents for sharing their son or daughter with the institution and provide a face, name, and contact through which the parent's anxiety can be alleviated. Members of the SGA can talk about activities and student trips. Authorities can provide parents with a coffee cup to let them know that the institution is one of quality and is a great investment in the future of their child.

Whether a current student, staff member or administrator, young or old, always remember to smile. Make a concerted effort to project a pleasant demeanor to everyone at all times. A friendly and helpful persona is essential to assuring those who are strangers in a strange land. The human smile is the greatest form of assurance that could possibly be provide to both students and parents. Likewise, be aware that the first impression is important. No one gets get a second chance to make a

first impression. Make the most of the opportunity. Recruitment numbers come to those who smile. If you cannot smile or you find the condition worrisome, you are in the wrong profession. Additionally, those that cannot smile have no need to continue through this narrative. For them, the battle is already lost.

## **2. Outreach**

Outreach is not something you do. Outreach is who you are. Outreach is a mindset. Outreach is a culture. Outreach is traditional. Outreach is digital. Outreach is innovative and responsive. Outreach is everywhere. Some outreach is organized. Some outreach is spontaneous. Outreach is everyone's responsibility. Let us begin by examining planned outreach. We will then spend some time discussing spontaneous outreach.

#### **2.1 Planned outreach**

Planned outreach involves organized efforts to recruit international students into your institution. The responsibility for planned outreach is generally assigned to an administrative unit charged with orchestrating efforts and maximizing collaboration between concerned components of the institution in order to increase enrollment numbers. The responsible administrative unit is typically housed in admissions, international partnerships, or an instructional component. The authority hierarchy of the administrative unit may reside at the higher level of a Provost down to the lower level of a recruiter or outreach officer.

These efforts are often operationalized via a formal planning structure to address issues of vision, resources, programs, capacity, brand recognition, competition, and country specific considerations [4]. Planned outreach may include activities that are external and internal to the institution. External activities often include exhibitions, international travel, international student exchanges, recruitment representatives, lead generators, and portal sites, to name a few. Internal recruitment activities may involve strategies associated with social media advertising, student clubs, website design, cultural awareness functions, personnel assignments, volunteer utilization, assigned points of contact, and timely response mechanisms. The list is endless.

While the author firmly endorses comprehensive planning, caution is expressed concerning the danger of planning for 364 days and working 1 day rather than planning for 2 day and working for 364 days. Planning processes are always more solidly embedded in the higher education comfort zone than are strategic interactions with those different from ourselves. For this reason, many enjoy spending all their time in developing plans rather than actually engaging potential applicants down in the trenches. Even with the best strategic action plan brilliantly crafted to promote international enrollment and the most diligent work schedule, one simple question usually determines success, "What sets you apart from the crowd?" More simply worded, "How do you outshine your competitors?" Keep in mind that your competitors are doing all the things that you are doing. They are enacting strategic plans. They are focusing on both external and internal recruitment activities. They are also hard at work. What sets you apart from the crowd? How do you outshine your competitors? What makes you better than them?

The pat answer to these questions is customer service, but the customer service is much more complicated than this simplistic answer implies. You must always keep in mind that your perception of your customer service may not match your customer's perception of your customer service. Additionally, you must also remain

**41**

*Full Funnel International Enrollment Management DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84755*

opinion of your services.

their parents?

**2.2 Spontaneous outreach**

aware of the 100 to 1 rule for customer service. On average a dissatisfied individual will inform 10 people of their dissatisfaction while 10 satisfied individuals are likely to collectively tell only one person. One hundred satisfied people are required to balance the negative publicity generated by one dissatisfied person. Take a moment and let this sink in. A one-to-one correlation does not exist in regard to offsetting the effects of one dissatisfied individual with one satisfied individual. One hundred satisfied people are required to balance the negative publicity generated by one dissatisfied person. You must solve the problem before it becomes a problem. You must do all in your power to keep anyone from leaving your institution with a negative

Friends tell friends. Our global world is intricately connected. A helping hand to a person here may reverberate around the world. This means that all university activities are part of the outreach for international recruitment. All efforts to help one person have the potential to bring another person to enroll in your institution. Ask yourself the following. Are your events designed for international viewing? Do you provide remote access to your events? Does your website accommodate international student and parents? Do you have virtual tours of your campus? Do you provide access to a friendly face for those who just want to ask a question about anything of interest to them? Do you provide access to your student government association? Do you celebrate the success of your international students? Do you maximize your social media sites by providing access to international students and

Spontaneous outreach is founded on the concept of the extended student. This

One smile properly utilized to the right extended student can be of more effect than a year of planning. One act of kindness can even outweigh a smile. What is your plan to serve your international students and their parents? What provisions

Applicants and parents may choose to visit your campus. If so, they will not arrive at your campus from their country. They will likely arrive at the airport then require transportation to your campus. Make certain they get to your campus. Provide easy transportation from the airport. Greet the parents with a smile and a small gift. Be especially certain that the applicant's mother is welcomed. Keep in mind that the mother holds great influence in regard to the family's impression of your institution. The parents and applicant may also require lodging. If you do not have campus lodging available, work with local hotels to offer a standard package at a reasonable cost. Help them with their arrangements. Provide a tour of your local area. Consider providing a broader tour of the region as appropriate. Show them

Arrange for your guests to meet some of your student leaders. Be certain to include an administrator. Let them know that you will help the applicant obtain all the services required of normal life in your country such as obtaining a phone, getting to their Embassy, returning to the airport, etc. The applicant and parent will

idea recognizes that a student is more than a student. A student is likely many students. For example, a university may recruit an excellent academic student by providing a merit-based scholarship. This student brings friends, acquaintances, and colleagues to the institution. A student is obviously more than a student. A

student should be seen as a gateway to reach many other students.

**2.3 Hosting the applicant's visit to your campus**

where to buy a pizza and how to go to the mall.

do you offer? Some suggestions follow.

#### *Full Funnel International Enrollment Management DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84755*

aware of the 100 to 1 rule for customer service. On average a dissatisfied individual will inform 10 people of their dissatisfaction while 10 satisfied individuals are likely to collectively tell only one person. One hundred satisfied people are required to balance the negative publicity generated by one dissatisfied person. Take a moment and let this sink in. A one-to-one correlation does not exist in regard to offsetting the effects of one dissatisfied individual with one satisfied individual. One hundred satisfied people are required to balance the negative publicity generated by one dissatisfied person. You must solve the problem before it becomes a problem. You must do all in your power to keep anyone from leaving your institution with a negative opinion of your services.


**9. Soil biological properties**

Conservation tillage practices bring significant changes to soil biological properties compared to conventionally plowed soils. With minimal soil disturbance and increased crop residues left on the soil surface, conservation tillage creates a more favorable environment for soil organisms. One notable impact is the increase in microbial diversity and activity. The continuous supply of organic matter from crop residues fosters microbial growth, leading to enhanced nutrient cycling and improved decomposition of organic materials. This, in turn, boosts nutrient availability for plants, supporting healthier crop growth. Another notable change is the promotion of earthworm and macroinvertebrate activity. The presence of crop residues provides these soil organisms with a constant food source and shelter, leading to higher populations and increased soil bioturbation. The significance of earthworms and macroinvertebrates in the context of soil aeration, organic matter breakdown, and nutrient cycling cannot be overstated. These organisms are instrumental in enhancing soil structure and promoting nutrient availability. The implementation of conservation tillage practices has been found to have a positive impact on the accumulation of soil organic matter. The reduced soil disturbance and slower decomposition rates in conservation tillage systems allow organic matter to build up over time. This accumulation enhances soil biological activity and nutrient retention, promoting a more vibrant and resilient soil ecosystem. Organic carbon is a crucial component that serves as a significant energy source and effectively governs microbial activity

*Enhancing Agriculture through Strategic Tillage and Soil Management: Unleashing Potential… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113038*

within soil [37]. The utilization of conventional tillage techniques is known to have a significant impact on the preservation and maintenance of organic carbon (OC) levels. The primary source of soil enzymes is derived from microorganisms when compared to from plants and animals [38]. The tillage practices chosen directly and indirectly impact the biodynamics of soil. The presence of carbon in CT promotes the acceleration of soil enzyme activities, thereby contributing to the enhancement of soil biological health [39].

Moreover, conservation tillage systems foster a more significant presence of mycorrhizal fungi. The reduced disturbance and continuous presence of crop residues create favorable conditions for mycorrhizal symbiosis with plant roots. Mycorrhizal associations enhance nutrient uptake, particularly phosphorus and micronutrients, further supporting plant growth and health [40]. The utilization of computed tomography (CT) has been observed to yield positive effects and foster harmonious interactions with soil biological components. The minimal alteration of the land plays a crucial role in facilitating the establishment and development of communities, thereby fostering a harmonious equilibrium among various biological components [41, 42]. Overall, conservation tillage practices lead to a more biologically active and diverse soil ecosystem compared to conventionally plowed soils. These changes in soil biological properties contribute to improved soil health, increased nutrient availability, enhanced carbon sequestration, and, ultimately, sustainable agricultural practices.


**1. Introduction**

204 Advanced Fluid Dynamics

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Putnam, A.A. (1971). *Combustion-Driven Oscillations in Industry*. American Elsevier, New

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Reynst, F.H. (1961). *Pulsating Combustion*, Edited by M.W. Thring, Pergamon Press, Oxford,

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Richards, G.A., Robey, E.H. (2008). Effect of Fuel System Impedance Mismatch on

Rommel, D. (1995). *Numerische Simulation des instationären, turbulenten und isothermen*

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Sattelmayer, T., Polifke, W. (2003a). A Novel Method for the Computation of the Linear

Sattelmayer, T., Polifke, W. (2003b). Assessment of Methods of the Computation of the

Tran, N., Ducruix, S., Schuller, T. (2009). Damping Combustion Instabilities with Perforates

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Yi, T., Gutmark, E.J. (2008). Online Prediction of the Onset of Combustion Instability Based

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> Shallow coastal areas are extremely dynamic regions where the fluid motions associated with both surface waves and currents interact with the bottom sediments. The prediction of the wave effects on sediment transport in shallow water conditions and in intermediate depth is still frequently restricted to monochromatic and unidirectional wave models. However, in real shallow water conditions, the nonlinear process of sediment transport responds in a rather different way to the idealized regular wave case. Therefore, in these regions, both the wave non-linearity and the wave-current interaction become important factors to be considered. Forecasts of morphological changes are invariably dependent on the correct prediction of the sand transport rate under the action of waves and currents, which requires accurate estimation of the friction at bed level, considering all resulting complex interactions effects in its entirety. A major consequence of the fluid dynamics resulting from the combined wave and current motions is the response of the movable seabed, which is significantly altered from that expected for a linear superposition of a pure wave motion with a pure current. In recent years, various attempts have been made to improve the state of knowledge of the flow in the bottom boundary layer regarding the wave non-linearity and complex wave-current effects on the sand-transport rate, using theoretical models. The erosion and sediment transport estimation around usual structures in the fluvial and coastal environment, like bridge piers, groynes and breakwaters, are of a major concern for designing these structures and for considering preventive measures. After a brief discussion on turbulence, the following sections present mathematical and numerical approaches of different complexity. Starting by the fundamental equations of the Fluid Mechanics, a complex unresolved formulation without further assumptions is obtained. Afterwards, considering some physical hypotheses, practical models of different complexity are shown, followed by simple parametric approaches and applications.


**3. Abstract feelings in interpersonal haptic communication**

In social life, nonverbal communication is crucial for conveying abstract feelings (i.e., "Kansei" information), which is too ambiguous and abstract to be described verbally, and for sharing them with others. When we communicate with others in our daily lives, we use various nonverbal channels such as gestures, facial expressions, or gaze. Among them, haptic communication is the most primitive channel, and it is widely seen in human infants and animals (Knapp & Hall, 1992). In particular, haptic communication plays a dominant role in directly conveying abstract feelings such as emotions (Richmond et al., 2007). Although nonverbal haptic communication has been less understood as compared to verbal communication, some researchers have challenged the kinetic taxonomy of physical contact or categorization based on the meaning of physical contact (Morris, 1971).

The sense of touch or haptics is complex (Katz, 1989), bidirectional, and interactive (e.g., active touch (Gibson, 1962)). Therefore, what is conveyed in interpersonal haptic communication cannot be determined straightforwardly. Instead, the perceptual process for haptic communication itself, the cognitive process for understanding the intention of others, and the context (e.g., the social position of others) would interactively affect what is conveyed. The abstract feelings conveyed in haptic communication are loosely categorized on the basis of the types of motion. For example, stroking someone's head may express affection, and shaking hands may express amity. However, the abstract feeling in haptic communication is also subject to the context of the communication (Richmond et al., 2007). Let us consider a handshake between politicians, that between a mother and a baby, and that between close friends at the time of farewell. It is almost certain that the feelings of the people are not identical in these contexts, although the motions involved in the haptic communication are rather similar.

Given the importance of haptic communication in conveying and sharing abstract feelings, we expect that the quality of experience shared with others could be altered by adding haptic communication. Some innovative studies have already tried to develop haptic devices enabling interpersonal communication and have empirically examined their effect on task performance and subjective impressions (Fujita & Hashimoto, 1999; Reiner, 2004; Sallnäs et al., 2000; Wang et al., 2004). For example, Fujita & Hashimoto (1999) showed that users could feel the presence of another person through haptic bidirectional communication even without seeing each other. Sallnäs et al. (2000) also reported that those who were performing collaborative tasks in a virtual environment felt increased reality or presence and showed an improvement in their task performance due to the force feedback from the virtual environment.

In this chapter, we discuss abstract feelings in interpersonal haptic communication. One question concerns how people experience interpersonal haptic communication in their daily activity. Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) and Takahashi et al. (2011c) conducted a psychological survey to investigate this question. Another question is whether haptic communication could change the subjective quality of an experience, and if 8 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

animacy perception may emerge as a result of the frequent experience of touching animate objects such as animals. While the stimulation from these animate objects would involve more complex patterns than those noted in Takahashi et al. (2011a), the frequency of stimulation might be the major factor that induces the feeling of animacy. Therefore, it would be intriguing to survey the frequencies of haptic stimulation from these animate objects in the real world and to compare them to the results of the experimental study in Takahashi et al. (2011a).

In social life, nonverbal communication is crucial for conveying abstract feelings (i.e., "Kansei" information), which is too ambiguous and abstract to be described verbally, and for sharing them with others. When we communicate with others in our daily lives, we use various nonverbal channels such as gestures, facial expressions, or gaze. Among them, haptic communication is the most primitive channel, and it is widely seen in human infants and animals (Knapp & Hall, 1992). In particular, haptic communication plays a dominant role in directly conveying abstract feelings such as emotions (Richmond et al., 2007). Although nonverbal haptic communication has been less understood as compared to verbal communication, some researchers have challenged the kinetic taxonomy of physical contact

The sense of touch or haptics is complex (Katz, 1989), bidirectional, and interactive (e.g., active touch (Gibson, 1962)). Therefore, what is conveyed in interpersonal haptic communication cannot be determined straightforwardly. Instead, the perceptual process for haptic communication itself, the cognitive process for understanding the intention of others, and the context (e.g., the social position of others) would interactively affect what is conveyed. The abstract feelings conveyed in haptic communication are loosely categorized on the basis of the types of motion. For example, stroking someone's head may express affection, and shaking hands may express amity. However, the abstract feeling in haptic communication is also subject to the context of the communication (Richmond et al., 2007). Let us consider a handshake between politicians, that between a mother and a baby, and that between close friends at the time of farewell. It is almost certain that the feelings of the people are not identical in these contexts, although the motions involved in the haptic communication are

Given the importance of haptic communication in conveying and sharing abstract feelings, we expect that the quality of experience shared with others could be altered by adding haptic communication. Some innovative studies have already tried to develop haptic devices enabling interpersonal communication and have empirically examined their effect on task performance and subjective impressions (Fujita & Hashimoto, 1999; Reiner, 2004; Sallnäs et al., 2000; Wang et al., 2004). For example, Fujita & Hashimoto (1999) showed that users could feel the presence of another person through haptic bidirectional communication even without seeing each other. Sallnäs et al. (2000) also reported that those who were performing collaborative tasks in a virtual environment felt increased reality or presence and showed an improvement in their task performance due to the force feedback from the virtual

In this chapter, we discuss abstract feelings in interpersonal haptic communication. One question concerns how people experience interpersonal haptic communication in their daily activity. Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) and Takahashi et al. (2011c) conducted a psychological survey to investigate this question. Another question is whether haptic communication could change the subjective quality of an experience, and if

**3. Abstract feelings in interpersonal haptic communication**

or categorization based on the meaning of physical contact (Morris, 1971).

rather similar.

environment.

so, how. To examine this question, Takahashi et al. (2011b) conducted an experimental study investigating the effects of haptic communication on the quality of participants' experiences, as well as on their impression of the person with whom they communicated.

#### **3.1 Psychological survey on interpersonal haptic communication**

In a series of psychological surveys, Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) and Takahashi et al. (2011c) investigated how people experience interpersonal haptic communication in their daily activity.

Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) presented observers with pictures depicting two persons performing either positive (e.g., hugging, shaking hands) or negative (e.g., grappling) haptic communication. The observers were asked to make a subjective evaluation of the depicted communication concerning its desirability, frequency of experience, and impressiveness. All these evaluations had a positive correlation (R > 0.59, p < .001), suggesting that the haptic communication that was more frequently experienced and that made a stronger impression tended to be evaluated as more desirable. Although these correlations cannot reveal a causal relationship, one possibility may be related to the widely known psychological phenomenon of "mere exposure effect" (Zajonc, 1968), and the other is related to "directional forgetting" (Golding & Macleod, 1998).

The observers were also asked to identify the person who was imagined to be involved in the communication depicted in the picture.  Thus, haptic communications that recall family members are more desirable.

Takahashi et al. (2011c) asked their observers to evaluate two types of haptic communication, tapping and padding, by using adjectives, and examined what factors reside in haptic communication. Table 1 shows the results of the factorial analysis. The results suggested that two factors represent interpersonal haptic communication. One factor affected the evaluation of lightsome, pleasant, comfortable, and warm feelings, and the other factor affected the evaluation of strong, rough, and active feelings. Thus, the first factor was associated with the abstract feelings of haptic communication, while the second factor was relevant to the characteristics of motion. These structures were common between the two types of haptic communications. Furthermore, the first factor strongly affected the desirability of the haptic communications when compared with the second factor, suggesting that the abstract feeling emerging from the communication, not the motion itself, strongly influenced the desirability of the haptic communication.

Table 1. First and second component score of each adjective for describing two types (tapping and patting) of haptic interpersonal communication. Data were from Takahashi et al. (2011c).

Q1 The movie was hilarious.

strongly disagree–7: strongly agree).

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

Q5 I was concerned about the other.

Q2 It felt as if the movie was more hilarious due to watching it with the other. Q3 It seemed as if I wanted to convey the hilarious feeling to the other. Q4 It seemed as if I could convey the hilarious feeling to the other.

Abstract Feelings Emerging from Haptic Stimulation 107

Q6 It seemed as if the other's hilarious feeling could be convey to me.

Table 2. Questions on the questionnaire. Each question was rated on a 7-point scale (1:

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8

Uninterrupted Interrupted

experience and the impression of the other person. Fig. 5 shows the ratings for each question (Table 2). A higher score indicates a stronger agreement with the question. The statistical test (t-test) showed that the rating scores of three questions (Q2, Q3, and Q8) were significantly higher in the uninterrupted group than in the interrupted group (all t(38) > 2.66, p < .05). Q2 asked whether the participants felt that the experience with the other person made the movie more hilarious. The participants' impressions may be attributed more to the sharing of the experience with the other person if the haptic communication was uninterrupted. Q3 asked if the participants felt eager to convey their feelings to the other person, and Q8 asked if the participants felt they would like to watch a movie with the other person again in the future. These questions concerned the participants' feelings toward the other person, and the interruption of haptic communication decreased such responses toward the other person. On the other hand, as for Q1, where the participants were asked to rate the hilariousness of the movie itself, the rating score of the uninterrupted group was slightly higher than that

Fig. 5. Mean rating score for each question of the questionnaire. Error bars indicate the standard errors of means. The figure was modified from Takahashi et al. (2011b).

Q8 It felt as if I wanted to watch the movie again with the other.

Q7 It felt as if I agreed with the other's hilarious feeling.

These psychological surveys in Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) and Takahashi et al. (2011c) suggested that desirable haptic communication is experienced with closer persons in daily life (Knapp & Hall, 1992; Morris, 1971; Richmond et al., 2007), and that the abstract feelings emerging from the haptic communication are essential for determining the desirability of the communication.

#### **3.2 Experimental study on shared experience via interpersonal haptic telecommunication**

Takahashi et al. (2011b) conducted an experimental study to investigate how interpersonal haptic communication affects shared experience and found that haptic communication could improve the quality of experience as well as the impression of the other person. They examined the effects of haptic communication on the quality of the experience shared with another person along with the impression of the other person with whom they communicated. In the experiment, two persons watched a movie at the same time. All forms of communication except haptic communication were completely removed. The persons could communicate by triggering a haptic stimulation in the other person.

Forty graduate and undergraduate students participated in the experiment in 20 pairs, which were divided into two groups of 10 pairs each. Each pair in the groups was assigned to one of two experimental conditions. In the experiment, two LCD TVs were placed on two desks. The participants were seated at the desks and simultaneously watched a movie on the TV with headphones. The desks were separated by a partition; hence, the participants could not see or hear each other. Each participant held a push button with his or her left hand and touched the haptic device (Fig. 2.) with his or her right hand. The button sent a signal to the operator PC when it was pressed and released. The haptic stimulator generated 2-Hz of vibratory pressure stimulation when receiving a signal from the operator PC. The operator PC sent a signal to the haptic stimulator of one person when the other person pressed his or her button. The timing of the button press/release was recorded by the operator PC. Takahashi et al. (2011b) chose a Japanese comedy movie clip of approximately 220 s duration as the visual stimulus. The movie was played on two temporally synchronized screens.

In an experimental session, the participants were instructed to watch the movie and to press the button while they found it hilarious. They were also told explicitly that pressing their button sent a haptic stimulation to the other person and that the other person's button press triggered a haptic stimulation in their sensor. They experienced this haptic communication prior to the experimental session. Thus, the participants were aware that they could perceive the other person's response through the haptic stimulation. The participants were explicitly instructed to decide on their own whether to press the button and to avoid following the lead of the other person.

One of the two experimental groups was an uninterrupted group, in which the button press always triggered the haptic stimulation to the other person throughout the experimental session. The other experimental group was an interrupted group, wherein the haptic stimulation was interrupted for 90 s, between 75 s and 165 s after the movie started. The participants in the interruption group were not told of the interruption of the haptic stimulation prior to the experimental session; hence, they believed that the absence of haptic stimulation indicated that the other person did not find the movie hilarious. After watching the movie, the participants answered a questionnaire consisting of 8 questions and using a 7-point scale (Table 2).

Using a post-experiment questionnaire survey, Takahashi et al. (2011b) found that the interruption of haptic communication affected the subjective evaluation of the quality of the 10 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

These psychological surveys in Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) and Takahashi et al. (2011c) suggested that desirable haptic communication is experienced with closer persons in daily life (Knapp & Hall, 1992; Morris, 1971; Richmond et al., 2007), and that the abstract feelings emerging from the haptic communication are

**3.2 Experimental study on shared experience via interpersonal haptic telecommunication** Takahashi et al. (2011b) conducted an experimental study to investigate how interpersonal haptic communication affects shared experience and found that haptic communication could improve the quality of experience as well as the impression of the other person. They examined the effects of haptic communication on the quality of the experience shared with another person along with the impression of the other person with whom they communicated. In the experiment, two persons watched a movie at the same time. All forms of communication except haptic communication were completely removed. The persons

Forty graduate and undergraduate students participated in the experiment in 20 pairs, which were divided into two groups of 10 pairs each. Each pair in the groups was assigned to one of two experimental conditions. In the experiment, two LCD TVs were placed on two desks. The participants were seated at the desks and simultaneously watched a movie on the TV with headphones. The desks were separated by a partition; hence, the participants could not see or hear each other. Each participant held a push button with his or her left hand and touched the haptic device (Fig. 2.) with his or her right hand. The button sent a signal to the operator PC when it was pressed and released. The haptic stimulator generated 2-Hz of vibratory pressure stimulation when receiving a signal from the operator PC. The operator PC sent a signal to the haptic stimulator of one person when the other person pressed his or her button. The timing of the button press/release was recorded by the operator PC. Takahashi et al. (2011b) chose a Japanese comedy movie clip of approximately 220 s duration as the visual stimulus. The

In an experimental session, the participants were instructed to watch the movie and to press the button while they found it hilarious. They were also told explicitly that pressing their button sent a haptic stimulation to the other person and that the other person's button press triggered a haptic stimulation in their sensor. They experienced this haptic communication prior to the experimental session. Thus, the participants were aware that they could perceive the other person's response through the haptic stimulation. The participants were explicitly instructed to decide on their own whether to press the button and to avoid following the lead

One of the two experimental groups was an uninterrupted group, in which the button press always triggered the haptic stimulation to the other person throughout the experimental session. The other experimental group was an interrupted group, wherein the haptic stimulation was interrupted for 90 s, between 75 s and 165 s after the movie started. The participants in the interruption group were not told of the interruption of the haptic stimulation prior to the experimental session; hence, they believed that the absence of haptic stimulation indicated that the other person did not find the movie hilarious. After watching the movie, the participants answered a questionnaire consisting of 8 questions and using a

Using a post-experiment questionnaire survey, Takahashi et al. (2011b) found that the interruption of haptic communication affected the subjective evaluation of the quality of the

essential for determining the desirability of the communication.

could communicate by triggering a haptic stimulation in the other person.

movie was played on two temporally synchronized screens.

of the other person.

7-point scale (Table 2).

Table 2. Questions on the questionnaire. Each question was rated on a 7-point scale (1: strongly disagree–7: strongly agree).

Fig. 5. Mean rating score for each question of the questionnaire. Error bars indicate the standard errors of means. The figure was modified from Takahashi et al. (2011b).

experience and the impression of the other person. Fig. 5 shows the ratings for each question (Table 2). A higher score indicates a stronger agreement with the question. The statistical test (t-test) showed that the rating scores of three questions (Q2, Q3, and Q8) were significantly higher in the uninterrupted group than in the interrupted group (all t(38) > 2.66, p < .05). Q2 asked whether the participants felt that the experience with the other person made the movie more hilarious. The participants' impressions may be attributed more to the sharing of the experience with the other person if the haptic communication was uninterrupted. Q3 asked if the participants felt eager to convey their feelings to the other person, and Q8 asked if the participants felt they would like to watch a movie with the other person again in the future. These questions concerned the participants' feelings toward the other person, and the interruption of haptic communication decreased such responses toward the other person.

On the other hand, as for Q1, where the participants were asked to rate the hilariousness of the movie itself, the rating score of the uninterrupted group was slightly higher than that

In addition to the subjective evaluation using the post-experiment questionnaire survey, the interruption of haptic communication affected the participants' behavior while watching the movie—namely, the number of button presses during the movie presentation. Fig. 6. shows the total number of button presses for three different periods. The first one was the period before the interruption of haptic stimulation; hence, there was inherently no difference between the two groups. The numbers of button presses did not differ between the two groups in the first period (t(18) = 0.62, p = 0.54). In the second period, the haptic stimulation was cut off between 75 and 165 s for the interrupted group. In this period, the number of button presses in the uninterrupted group was significantly larger than that in the interrupted group (t(18) = 2.65, p < 0.05). The third period was the one after the interruption. Although the number of actions was slightly larger in the uninterrupted group, the difference was not

Abstract Feelings Emerging from Haptic Stimulation 109

In the questionnaire survey, we found that the retrospective evaluation of how hilarious the movie was did not significantly differ between the two groups (Q1). In contrast, the behavioral performance clearly showed that the number of button presses—namely, how often the participants felt the movie was hilarious—was decreased by the interruption of the haptic communication. These results suggest that the haptic communication implicitly modulated the quality of the experience, although the participants could not be explicitly

Both psychological surveys (Takahashi et al., 2011c; Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe, 2010) and the experimental study (Takahashi et al., 2011b) showed the importance of haptic stimulation in interpersonal communication. The desirability of haptic communication was associated with the factor relevant to abstract feelings (lightsome, pleasant, comfortable, and warm) (Takahashi et al., 2011c; Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe, 2010). The presence of haptic communication improved the quality of experience and the impression of the other person as well (Takahashi et al., 2011b). As the vibratory haptic stimulation could affect the quality of experience, the presence of haptic communication, not the contents of the stimulation, may be essential for influencing the quality of experience. Abstract feelings emerging from the haptic stimulation in interpersonal communication would be important for persons who share a high-quality experience and

Humans have multiple sensory modalities for accessing the external world, such as vision, audition, and, of course, haptics. Although inputs into different sensory modalities are processed in different brain regions at early sensory levels, different sensory modalities are no doubt interactively processed at the perceptual level to build up unified perceptions of the external world, which is referred to as cross-modal interaction (Shams & Kim, 2010; Shimojo & Shams, 2001). For example, the ventriloquism effect (Alais & Burr, 2004) and McGurk effect McGurk & MacDonald (1976) are well known phenomena demonstrating visual modulation

Although cross-modal interaction has mainly been examined using vision and audition, cross-modal interaction at the perceptual level is not limited between them. Inputs into haptics can affect perceptual processes in the sensory modalities other than haptics. For example, the dominant interpretation for an ambiguous visual figure (e.g., the Necker cube)

significant (t(18) = 1.59, p = 0.13).

have a good impression of each other (Morris, 1971).

**4. Cross-modal effect of haptic stimulation in abstract feelings**

aware of that.

**3.3 Summary**

on auditory perception.

of the interrupted group, but the difference was not statistically significant (t(38) = 1.64, p = 0.11). It seemed that the subjective evaluation of the quality of the experience itself was less susceptible to the absence or presence of haptic communication.

As for the other questions, Q4, Q5, Q6, and Q7, the rating scores were comparable between the two experimental groups. Q4 and Q6 asked whether feelings were conveyed efficiently between the participants during the experiment. Q5 and Q7 asked about their involvement and agreement with the other person during the experiment. These questions were partially similar to Q3 and Q8 in that all the questions were related to the communication with the other person. However, while Q4, Q5, Q6, and Q7 focused on the feelings of the other person during the experiment, Q3 and Q8 referred to the strength of the intentions toward the other person in present and future communication. In summary, the interruption of haptic communication had little effect on the subjective evaluation of the shared experience with others. However, it modulated the impression of the other person, especially the intention to build a relationship with him or her.

The results of an exploratory factor analysis of the subjective evaluation were interesting, since one factor (Factor 1) affected Q2, Q3, and Q8, which showed the group difference in the rating score, and another factor (Factor 2) affected Q6 and Q7 (the loadings of Factor 2 for Q1 and Q4 were also comparatively high). The straightforward interpretation would be that the questions affected by Factor 1 were relevant to the attitude toward the other person, and that the questions affected by Factor 2 were relevant to the feeling of the experience itself. The questions related to Factor 2 did not show any group difference in the rating score. Taken together, the interruption of haptic communication did not degrade the retrospective impression of the experience itself but did reduce the participants' concern toward the other person with whom they communicated.

Fig. 6. Number of button presses. Error bars indicate the standard errors of means. The figure was modified from Takahashi et al. (2011b).

In addition to the subjective evaluation using the post-experiment questionnaire survey, the interruption of haptic communication affected the participants' behavior while watching the movie—namely, the number of button presses during the movie presentation. Fig. 6. shows the total number of button presses for three different periods. The first one was the period before the interruption of haptic stimulation; hence, there was inherently no difference between the two groups. The numbers of button presses did not differ between the two groups in the first period (t(18) = 0.62, p = 0.54). In the second period, the haptic stimulation was cut off between 75 and 165 s for the interrupted group. In this period, the number of button presses in the uninterrupted group was significantly larger than that in the interrupted group (t(18) = 2.65, p < 0.05). The third period was the one after the interruption. Although the number of actions was slightly larger in the uninterrupted group, the difference was not significant (t(18) = 1.59, p = 0.13).

In the questionnaire survey, we found that the retrospective evaluation of how hilarious the movie was did not significantly differ between the two groups (Q1). In contrast, the behavioral performance clearly showed that the number of button presses—namely, how often the participants felt the movie was hilarious—was decreased by the interruption of the haptic communication. These results suggest that the haptic communication implicitly modulated the quality of the experience, although the participants could not be explicitly aware of that.

### **3.3 Summary**

12 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

of the interrupted group, but the difference was not statistically significant (t(38) = 1.64, p = 0.11). It seemed that the subjective evaluation of the quality of the experience itself was less

As for the other questions, Q4, Q5, Q6, and Q7, the rating scores were comparable between the two experimental groups. Q4 and Q6 asked whether feelings were conveyed efficiently between the participants during the experiment. Q5 and Q7 asked about their involvement and agreement with the other person during the experiment. These questions were partially similar to Q3 and Q8 in that all the questions were related to the communication with the other person. However, while Q4, Q5, Q6, and Q7 focused on the feelings of the other person during the experiment, Q3 and Q8 referred to the strength of the intentions toward the other person in present and future communication. In summary, the interruption of haptic communication had little effect on the subjective evaluation of the shared experience with others. However, it modulated the impression of the other person, especially the intention to build a relationship

The results of an exploratory factor analysis of the subjective evaluation were interesting, since one factor (Factor 1) affected Q2, Q3, and Q8, which showed the group difference in the rating score, and another factor (Factor 2) affected Q6 and Q7 (the loadings of Factor 2 for Q1 and Q4 were also comparatively high). The straightforward interpretation would be that the questions affected by Factor 1 were relevant to the attitude toward the other person, and that the questions affected by Factor 2 were relevant to the feeling of the experience itself. The questions related to Factor 2 did not show any group difference in the rating score. Taken together, the interruption of haptic communication did not degrade the retrospective impression of the experience itself but did reduce the participants' concern toward the other

Period

During interruption (75 ~ 165 s)

Fig. 6. Number of button presses. Error bars indicate the standard errors of means. The

After interruption (165 s ~)

Uninterrupted Interrupted

susceptible to the absence or presence of haptic communication.

with him or her.

Count of button press

0

Before interruption (~ 75 s)

figure was modified from Takahashi et al. (2011b).

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

person with whom they communicated.

Both psychological surveys (Takahashi et al., 2011c; Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe, 2010) and the experimental study (Takahashi et al., 2011b) showed the importance of haptic stimulation in interpersonal communication. The desirability of haptic communication was associated with the factor relevant to abstract feelings (lightsome, pleasant, comfortable, and warm) (Takahashi et al., 2011c; Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Sendoda, Murata & Watanabe, 2010). The presence of haptic communication improved the quality of experience and the impression of the other person as well (Takahashi et al., 2011b). As the vibratory haptic stimulation could affect the quality of experience, the presence of haptic communication, not the contents of the stimulation, may be essential for influencing the quality of experience. Abstract feelings emerging from the haptic stimulation in interpersonal communication would be important for persons who share a high-quality experience and have a good impression of each other (Morris, 1971).

#### **4. Cross-modal effect of haptic stimulation in abstract feelings**

Humans have multiple sensory modalities for accessing the external world, such as vision, audition, and, of course, haptics. Although inputs into different sensory modalities are processed in different brain regions at early sensory levels, different sensory modalities are no doubt interactively processed at the perceptual level to build up unified perceptions of the external world, which is referred to as cross-modal interaction (Shams & Kim, 2010; Shimojo & Shams, 2001). For example, the ventriloquism effect (Alais & Burr, 2004) and McGurk effect McGurk & MacDonald (1976) are well known phenomena demonstrating visual modulation on auditory perception.

Although cross-modal interaction has mainly been examined using vision and audition, cross-modal interaction at the perceptual level is not limited between them. Inputs into haptics can affect perceptual processes in the sensory modalities other than haptics. For example, the dominant interpretation for an ambiguous visual figure (e.g., the Necker cube)

and two trials without haptic stimulus. The order of trials and the contents of the conversation

Abstract Feelings Emerging from Haptic Stimulation 111

Fig. 7. Rating scores of abstract feelings for voice with and without haptic stimulus. The error

Fig. 7. shows the mean rating scores of 5 questions. The feeling of animacy was significantly stronger when the voice was accompanied by the haptic stimulus than when the voice was presented alone (one-tailed paired t-test, t(23) = 1.87, p < .05). As for the other questions, although the means rating score was slightly higher when the haptic stimulus was present, the difference between the haptic-present and the haptic-absent trial was not statistically significant (Pleasant: t(23) = 0.85, p = .20, Warm: t(23) = 0.50, p = .31, Familiar: t(23) = 0.82, p

Thus, the results of the experiment clearly showed that the feeling of voice animacy increased when haptic vibratory stimulation was added to the voice stimuli. Even when the haptic stimulation was task irrelevant and the observers were explicitly told to ignore it, the haptic stimulation modulated the abstract feelings for voice stimuli. As described in Section 2, Takahashi et al. (2011a) and Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) showed that a strong feeling of animacy emerged from 1–2Hz of haptic vibratory stimulation. The fact that only the feeling of animacy, that was expected to emerge from haptic stimulatin, was manifest, out of 5 abstract feelings, seems to demonstrate that the effect was not due to

We investigated if haptic stimulation can modulate abstract feelings for voice stimuli. The results showed that haptic stimulation that is associated with feelings of animacy can increase the felt animacy for voice stimuli. Perhaps the abstract feeling emerging from haptic

These results suggested that the processes concerning abstract feelings, as well as perceptual (Shams & Kim, 2010; Shimojo & Shams, 2001) and emotional (Bertelson & de Gelder, 2005; Tanaka et al., 2010) processes, work interactively among different sensory modalities. It may be plausible to argue that higher levels of cognitive processes have vaguer boundaries

general bias in rating higher when the voice was accompanied by haptic stimulus.

stimulation interacts with inputs into sensory modalities other than haptics.

**Haptic Stimulus** Absent Present

Animate Pleasant Warm Familiar Attractive

were randomized.

Rating Score

3.5

**4.2 Summary**

bars indicate standard errors of means.

= .21, Attractive: t(23) = 0.33, p = .37).

between different sensory modalities (Fig. 1.).

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

is biased by haptic inputs to make visual and haptic perception consistent (Blake et al., 2004; Bruno et al., 2007). Furthermore, inputs into haptics and vision are integrated in a statistically optimal fashion (Ernst & Banks, 2002; Ernst & Bülthoff, 2004). Thus, a good amount of experimental evidence has shown that inputs into haptic modality can affect perceptual processes in the modalities other than haptics beyond the boundary of sensory modalities.

Consequently, can abstract feelings emerging from different sensory modalities also interact with or modulate from each other? Recent experimental studies suggest that cross-modal interaction takes place at quite high levels of the perceptual process, such as emotion recognition (Bertelson & de Gelder, 2005; Tanaka et al., 2010). For example, face emotion and voice emotion are strongly related. Emotion recognition of facial expression is biased when the voice expresses emotion different from that of the face, and vice versa (Bertelson & de Gelder, 2005).

Although it is true that perceptual and emotional processes interact with each other between different sensory modalities, it is still open if abstract feelings such as animacy can be shared among multiple sensory modalities. However, in daily experience, it seems that such abstract feelings simultaneously emerge from multiple sensory modalities. For example, a mother and a baby communicate through eyes, ears, and hands to feel presence or animacy from each other. Therefore, it would be possible to expect that cross-modal interaction also appears for the abstract feelings. In the following section, we introduce an original research recently conducted in our laboratory, which examined if haptic stimulation can modulate abstract feelings for voice stimuli.

#### **4.1 Voice perception modified by haptic sensation**

In order to investigate if the abstract feeling emerging from haptic sensation can affect the cognitive process of sensory modalities other than haptics, we conducted an experiment wherein observers evaluated abstract feelings for another person's voice. In the experiment, the voice stimuli either were or were not accompanied by haptic stimulation.

Twenty-four paid volunteers took part in the experiment. All of the participants reported normal hearing and haptic sensitivity. They were naive as to the purpose of the experiment.

The haptic stimulus was 2Hz sinusoidal vibratory stimulation presented by the custom-made haptic display device shown in Fig. 2. Voice stimuli were presented though headphones. The voice stimuli were 5 Japanese greeting phrases from daily conversation ("Ohayou," "Irasshai-mase," "Arigatou-gozaimashita," "Oyasumi-nasai," and "Otsukare-sama-deshita," which correspond to "Good morning," "Can I help you?" "Thank you," "Good night," and "That's wrap," respectively). The voices were spoken by 5 professional voice actors and were emotionally-neutral.

In a trial, the participants touched the haptic device with their right index fingers. After the participants pressed the space bar of an operator PC, the voice stimulus was presented. In half of the trials, the voice stimuli were accompanied by the haptic vibratory stimulation. The haptic stimulus was presented for 3 s and the voice stimuli were presented during the haptic stimulation. In the other half of the trials, the haptic stimulation was not presented and only the voice stimuli were presented.

After the stimulus presentation, the participants were asked to rate how strongly the voice yielded various abstract feelings—animate, pleasant, warm, familiar, or attractive—on a 7-point scale. They were explicitly told to ignore the contents of the conversation as well as the haptic stimulation. One practical trial was followed by two trials with haptic stimulus 14 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

is biased by haptic inputs to make visual and haptic perception consistent (Blake et al., 2004; Bruno et al., 2007). Furthermore, inputs into haptics and vision are integrated in a statistically optimal fashion (Ernst & Banks, 2002; Ernst & Bülthoff, 2004). Thus, a good amount of experimental evidence has shown that inputs into haptic modality can affect perceptual processes in the modalities other than haptics beyond the boundary of sensory modalities. Consequently, can abstract feelings emerging from different sensory modalities also interact with or modulate from each other? Recent experimental studies suggest that cross-modal interaction takes place at quite high levels of the perceptual process, such as emotion recognition (Bertelson & de Gelder, 2005; Tanaka et al., 2010). For example, face emotion and voice emotion are strongly related. Emotion recognition of facial expression is biased when the voice expresses emotion different from that of the face, and vice versa (Bertelson &

Although it is true that perceptual and emotional processes interact with each other between different sensory modalities, it is still open if abstract feelings such as animacy can be shared among multiple sensory modalities. However, in daily experience, it seems that such abstract feelings simultaneously emerge from multiple sensory modalities. For example, a mother and a baby communicate through eyes, ears, and hands to feel presence or animacy from each other. Therefore, it would be possible to expect that cross-modal interaction also appears for the abstract feelings. In the following section, we introduce an original research recently conducted in our laboratory, which examined if haptic stimulation can modulate abstract

In order to investigate if the abstract feeling emerging from haptic sensation can affect the cognitive process of sensory modalities other than haptics, we conducted an experiment wherein observers evaluated abstract feelings for another person's voice. In the experiment,

Twenty-four paid volunteers took part in the experiment. All of the participants reported normal hearing and haptic sensitivity. They were naive as to the purpose of the experiment. The haptic stimulus was 2Hz sinusoidal vibratory stimulation presented by the custom-made haptic display device shown in Fig. 2. Voice stimuli were presented though headphones. The voice stimuli were 5 Japanese greeting phrases from daily conversation ("Ohayou," "Irasshai-mase," "Arigatou-gozaimashita," "Oyasumi-nasai," and "Otsukare-sama-deshita," which correspond to "Good morning," "Can I help you?" "Thank you," "Good night," and "That's wrap," respectively). The voices were spoken by 5 professional voice actors and were

In a trial, the participants touched the haptic device with their right index fingers. After the participants pressed the space bar of an operator PC, the voice stimulus was presented. In half of the trials, the voice stimuli were accompanied by the haptic vibratory stimulation. The haptic stimulus was presented for 3 s and the voice stimuli were presented during the haptic stimulation. In the other half of the trials, the haptic stimulation was not presented and only

After the stimulus presentation, the participants were asked to rate how strongly the voice yielded various abstract feelings—animate, pleasant, warm, familiar, or attractive—on a 7-point scale. They were explicitly told to ignore the contents of the conversation as well as the haptic stimulation. One practical trial was followed by two trials with haptic stimulus

the voice stimuli either were or were not accompanied by haptic stimulation.

de Gelder, 2005).

feelings for voice stimuli.

emotionally-neutral.

the voice stimuli were presented.

**4.1 Voice perception modified by haptic sensation**

and two trials without haptic stimulus. The order of trials and the contents of the conversation were randomized.

Fig. 7. Rating scores of abstract feelings for voice with and without haptic stimulus. The error bars indicate standard errors of means.

Fig. 7. shows the mean rating scores of 5 questions. The feeling of animacy was significantly stronger when the voice was accompanied by the haptic stimulus than when the voice was presented alone (one-tailed paired t-test, t(23) = 1.87, p < .05). As for the other questions, although the means rating score was slightly higher when the haptic stimulus was present, the difference between the haptic-present and the haptic-absent trial was not statistically significant (Pleasant: t(23) = 0.85, p = .20, Warm: t(23) = 0.50, p = .31, Familiar: t(23) = 0.82, p = .21, Attractive: t(23) = 0.33, p = .37).

Thus, the results of the experiment clearly showed that the feeling of voice animacy increased when haptic vibratory stimulation was added to the voice stimuli. Even when the haptic stimulation was task irrelevant and the observers were explicitly told to ignore it, the haptic stimulation modulated the abstract feelings for voice stimuli. As described in Section 2, Takahashi et al. (2011a) and Takahashi, Mitsuhashi, Norieda, Murata & Watanabe (2010) showed that a strong feeling of animacy emerged from 1–2Hz of haptic vibratory stimulation. The fact that only the feeling of animacy, that was expected to emerge from haptic stimulatin, was manifest, out of 5 abstract feelings, seems to demonstrate that the effect was not due to general bias in rating higher when the voice was accompanied by haptic stimulus.

#### **4.2 Summary**

We investigated if haptic stimulation can modulate abstract feelings for voice stimuli. The results showed that haptic stimulation that is associated with feelings of animacy can increase the felt animacy for voice stimuli. Perhaps the abstract feeling emerging from haptic stimulation interacts with inputs into sensory modalities other than haptics.

These results suggested that the processes concerning abstract feelings, as well as perceptual (Shams & Kim, 2010; Shimojo & Shams, 2001) and emotional (Bertelson & de Gelder, 2005; Tanaka et al., 2010) processes, work interactively among different sensory modalities. It may be plausible to argue that higher levels of cognitive processes have vaguer boundaries between different sensory modalities (Fig. 1.).

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