Hug Day: studies point out the benefits of hugging – 05/22/2023 – Equilíbrio

Studies show that hugging can lower stress hormone levels and ease bad feelings after conflict. Also, longer hugs can be more pleasurable than very short ones.

Gestures can be from romantic partners, acquaintances, and even a self-made touch. For Hug Day, this May 22nd, we gather the scientifically proven benefits of the gesture.

A study published in the journal PLoS One assessed the impacts of hugging a romantic partner on stress relief.

The study had 76 heterosexual participants with an average age of 22 years randomly divided into two groups. All couples underwent a stress-inducing procedure together, but while one of the groups was able to hug their partner during the experiment, the control group was not allowed to make physical contact.

The results showed that women who hugged their partners had a reduction in the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. The same, however, did not happen with men.

Another study carried out in two stages tried to understand how long a hug should last for it to be pleasurable and have effects on mood. In the first part, the participants hugged a person chosen by the researcher in different ways. The touches lasted 1, 5 and 10 seconds. After the experiment, they reported how they felt about the touch.

In the second stage, participants were approached on a university campus and invited to share a hug.

Other work published in Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology also looked at how touch influences the cortisol response. The study points out that hugging decreases hormone levels and that the benefits of receiving touch are independent of social factors.

The results of the first experiment showed that the length of time is more important than the way the hug is performed, with 5 to 10 seconds being considered the most pleasurable. The second part of the study showed that hugs that cross the arms are the general preference, but even more prevalent among pairs of men.

In general, hugs lasting more than 5 seconds and crossing the arms are preferred, according to researchers.

On the other hand, the researchers also point out that when the other’s touch is not available, or the hug can be uncomfortable, touching oneself (such as placing a hand over the heart) can reactivate memories of support and compassion, which also reduces the cortisol response to stress

Another work, published in the journal PLoS One, evaluated how hugs influence feelings after conflicts.

In the study, 404 adults were interviewed every night for 14 consecutive days to talk about conflict, receiving hugs and their feelings. The results of the work showed that receiving a hug is associated with the attenuation of the negative mood that occurs as a result of personal conflicts.