Contact Hunger One simple pattern of human transaction that provides intimacy is called a ritual. Rituals make up one of four principal patterns of human interaction. Others include intimacy, pastimes, and games. Rituals are usually short structured interchanges. They often carry little actual information but provide large interpersonal benefits.
Rituals vary from formal ceremonies to short structured conversations.
They include the casual contacts which happen daily in predictable patterns. No, Mr. Brown, they say the weather will be the same for two weeks. Ritual transactions usually provide a risk-free way to find emotional reinforcement and strokes. Rituals meet the need of recipient for warmth, and the need of the giver to contribute. Like most hungers, contact hunger can be satisfied through pleasurable or repulsive exchange.