Parental Role in Shaping Touch Perception in Mechanically Ventilated Children: A Social Learning Perspective

Abstract

Touch is a source of information for a young child. It may evoke positive associations (with love, a parent’s care) or negative emotions (being in the hospital, participating in painful medical procedures). It is perceived in a certain way socially, and the child learns this through observation and imitation. This article aims to describe, from the perspective of social learning, the possibilities of learning positive touch in the relationship between a mechanically ventilated child and a parent. There is a lack of articles describing the role of the parent in internalising the touching behaviour of a mechanically ventilated child in light of social learning theory. As role models, parents demonstrate behaviours associated with positive touch in everyday situations, including during care activities performed while the child is lying down (washing the face and body). The possibility of systematically repeating these actions according to a specific pattern means that the child is repeatedly exposed to modelling stimuli. In this case, these include positive touch and verbal support through calming and soothing messages, which will create a lasting image of the behaviour being modelled.