A touch of the hand, a pat on the back, a hug: These small physical gestures are making a big difference in the NBA Final games.

Two social psychologists from the University of California-Berkeley, both avid basketball players themselves, recently analyzed 90 hours of televised professional play. They looked at every team and every player in the league and concluded the teams that touch the most win the most — and the individual players who touch the most perform the best.

What's more, the study determined that touch brings success off the court.

People on sidewalks collecting signatures for a petition, for instance, were almost twice as likely to get a person to sign if they touched them on the arm.

(WATCH the full report below from Nightline, or READ part of the story at ABC)