Let’s see what science has to say.
Researchers at Goldsmiths, London University, carried out two studies.
In the first, participants hugged for one, five, or 10 seconds – with two different arm crossing styles and reported how pleasant, arousing, and under control the touch felt.
They found that a hug lasting between five and ten seconds long was the most pleasant to receive, One-second hugs were found to be the least pleasant.
In terms of style, researchers looked at two different hugging styles. either “criss-cross” or “neck-waist.” The former has the hugger entwine the other in a diagonal pattern, with one arm on the shoulder and the other around the side; the latter sees the hugger with their arms around the other’s necks, or just under their shoulders. The results indicated that the style of a hug made no difference.
In the image below, the woman without the mask is demonstrating the criss-cross hug on the left, while the one on the right is demonstrating the neck waist style.
In the second experiment, researchers observed hugs between 206 men and women on the Goldsmiths campus and prompted them to rate their experience on a scale of zero to 100.
Despite gender and height differences, the criss-cross style was the most common approach between men and women. However, same-gender hugs saw a different approach, in which the criss-cross style was most prevalent among two hugging men, while two women or mixed-gender hugs saw more variation.
The study adds to data about the differences between men and women and how they approach contact with others. Last year, a study found that women are more driven by heredity to crave skin-on-skin — called “skin hunger”— whereas men are more influenced by their environment, meaning their personal or cultural experience.
I know the next time I hug someone I will be counting to see how long it lasts, trying to hit that sweet spot of 5-10 seconds. It could get awkward if the other person tries to break it off before then, because there’s no way I’m letting go before my time is up….
In closing, I have to admit that the first thing I thought about when I heard mention of this study on my car radio was this classic clip from the Simpsons:
Sources:
I love giving and receiving hugs! The criss cross with stretching up to the neck doesn’t typically work for me. 🙂
Just a friendly greeting hug will be short but hugging someone I haven’t seen in a long time or someone who is hurting, goes long beyond 10 seconds.
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more than 10 seconds seems like a long hug!
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But sometimes its needed! Women are more likely to give long hugs to each other. 🙂
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that must be it 🙂
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Rating hug experience on a scale of 0 to 100. The last two hugs I had were a 59 and a 61. Both above average on that bell shaped curve but a little twitch makes all the difference.
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You missed your calling. You should have been a scientist who conducts weird studies like this.
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he’s got two data points; just a few more and he’s got enough to publish something…
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I hope you get a 100 hug this weekend….
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Interesting! 💚
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Interesting post. Sending hugs in appreciation.
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🙂
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My biggest fear about hugging is when the one I’m hugging is taller than me, they might drool on my head or shoulder. So I try to limit such hugs to one second or less.
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LOL! “No comment!”
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I’d imagine this is much more of a problem for you, than me.
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Like I said, “No comment!” 😛
Can’t say I had thought of it before, but now….
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You should never hug someone unless you’re wearing a hat.
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that’s what high fives are for…
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Good idea.
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😀 Well, Jim, I thought of this: https://youtu.be/JUdWApwbudQ. “How to Give a Man a Hug.”
I think these studies and conclusions need to take into account whether a person likes hugs or not.
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that was a funny video, thanks for sharing. it is tough for us guys… 🙂
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Glad you liked it! It’s a favorite around here.
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Haha! That was hysterical.
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👍
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I’m a hugger, but I always pay attention to the other person’s body language. Some people are uncomfortable huggers, and no one wants to make them feel weird. When my students were leaving for a break or at the end of a school year, I gave them the option of a hug, high five, fist bump, handshake, or wave. They all chose something, but hugs were the most popular by far.
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sometimes it’s hard to read the other person’s body language. and what a nice tradition to have some sort of farewll gesture!
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I’m a hugger by nature, but not everyone is, so I try to quickly gauge how they are going to react, or how they approach the move. I’m not always accurate, but can generally tell by how their body is moving or not moving
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I guess I need to learn how to read the room…
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It can go bad and I continue to learn by trial and error
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I guess a hug can really only seem to go wrong in one direction – too long. But at the end of the day, that may be exactly what the person needed…
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As they’re sprinting away, that might be a clue.😂 I have this one friend who gives these excessively long hugs (more than 10 seconds). The first couple of times I kept thinking, “Now this is just plain weird, but then I noticed he was that way with everyone.” Saying goodbye to a group of people can take a while.😆
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That’s where the Irish goodbye come in….
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there’s nothing like it…
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so that might be a good way to get rid of people – hug them too long as soon as you greet them 🙂
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When it goes a bit of time since I have seen my sister, I actually begin to physically crave one of her hugs. But I am a hugger by nature. Not all my male friends are huggers, but I certainly push their comfort levels when I can.
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I like that you take the lead with your guy friends when it comes to hugging!
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The Simpsons clip is funny, but I’m laughing harder at the image of you holding on for ten seconds when your next hugging partner is pushing away at one. Talk about a captive audience. (I feel like SNL could turn that into a skit.)
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I’m just following the science 🙂
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I agree with Chel, some people are not big on hugs at all.
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maybe they just have not had a good 10 second hug 🙂
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The didn’t cover the “3-pat man-hug”? I thought that was a standard.
I’ve always found hugs with most people to be weird, like some sort of gentle attack.
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you’re right, I forgot about the pats that make up a hug. I guess the researchers did as well…
I think I’d prefer a hug than a kiss if I were just meeting someone (if those were the two options)…
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Don’t go to Italy.
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so it sounds like if I do go there, I need to brush up on my kissing skills…
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Always a good idea
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Sending you a 9 second hug
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that was just right… 🙂
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Strangely, I was thinking about hugs yesterday too. How I abhor them. In the nineties, I encountered a lot of people who refused to shake hands but hugged. Not wanting to seem uptight, I went along with it. I would never do that now. It’s an invasion of my personal space. The *only* person I like to hug is my wife.
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BTW, I’ve got a thing for Jill Biden.
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I can see that!
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that’s odd that people wouldn’t shake hands but would hug; I could see it the other way…
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I’m a hugger! Sometimes I just need my husband to hug me for a good 5 mins 🙂 always makes me feel better… I do a thing where I wind up and run to jump on him from 5 meters away lol and he just has to prepare for the lift lol
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glad you and your husband found something that works for you! have you tried your running hug with anyone else? 🙂
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Haha no.. Although I pretend to with my sisters and then they run off so it is more like a chasing hug 😂🤗🤣🏃♀️
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sounds like a fun family 🙂
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Other than Dave I don’t do much hugging. But a big hug from Mark when we arrived in Dordrecht was an amazing feeling.
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I know that feeling! (not of getting a hug from Mark) 🙂
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nice one, Jim!
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thanks, Peter!
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I’m not a big hugger but learning to go for the 5 – 10 second mark.
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I’m going to try it this Thanksgiving, and probably creep out all my relatives…
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Lol love that Simpsons clip! I always count to 7 when I hug someone because I read that it was apparently the perfect amount of time.
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you were ahead of your time!
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Super, Jim. And, those longer, full hugs are just what children need, too.
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I guess if they learn early, then that’s the sort of hugs they will give as they get older…
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I think you’re right!
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👍
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I used to be a hugger as we all were in our family and then along came Covid…so now it the “wai” …that could be why Covid infection rates are lower in Asia..just saying…Love the man hug video from Chel…smile x
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the man hug video was great…
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Wow! I never gave hugging much of a thought in terms of these characteristics.
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I guess there’s a research study on just about anything…
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Research on anything . . . perfect fodder for more blather.
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exactly!
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I’m just so relieved to finally be able to hug people again and almost fee safe throughout, post-Covid, that I’m sure I will never give any thought to any aspect of any hug I receive ever again, not that I did before!
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I had never really thought about hugs before either!
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