Psychologists have found out which hugs are the most pleasant

Psychologists from the University of London decided to find out which hugs are the most emotionally pleasant. For this, they conducted a whole study, the resultsThe influence of duration, arm crossing style, gender, and emotional closeness on hugging behavior which was published in the academic journal Acta Psychologica.

In the first part of the study, 45 college students who were blindfolded were hugged by the same woman. She did this for 1, 5 and 10 seconds, using different hand positions. All sensations and emotions from such contact were recorded immediately, after 3 minutes and 6 minutes. All data were entered into a common database for subsequent analysis.

The results showed that in the vast majority of cases, the most pleasant hugs were those with which one hand of the partner passed over the shoulder of the person, and the other - under his other hand, that is crosswise. It was also found that the duration of the hug should be from 5 to 10 seconds, otherwise the person will not receive the desired positive charge.

The second part of the study was carried out on the streets: 100 couples of students who were already involved in communication were invited to hug each other. No recommendations were given. So psychologists wanted to assess what type of hugs young people usually choose and whether this is influenced by the difference in height, gender, assessment of emotional closeness to a partner, or other details.

It turned out that most people prefer criss-cross hugs, and this option turned out to be the most popular among men. Another type of hug, when the hands touch the neck and waist of a partner, scientists have called more suitable for people of different heights or certain romantic situations. The students who took part in the study also considered it more intimate.

As a general conclusion, scientists notedthat if you need to cheer up, comfort or support someone, a hug in a couple of seconds will not be enough. They must last at least 5 and no more than 10 seconds. And the position of the hands in a criss-cross will increase the positive effect, regardless of height, gender or age of people.