Study: Hugs May Foster More Liking Than Handshakes

A study involving 330 strangers indicates that a hug, rather than a handshake, may lead to greater liking from a new acquaintance. Researchers found that individuals who received a hug were more willing to engage further, such as by viewing holiday pictures, compared to those who received a handshake or no physical contact.

In the experiment, conducted by 18 researchers, participants were greeted with either a hug, a handshake, or no touch. Their subsequent willingness to look at holiday photos served as a measure of their liking for the person they had just met. The study, published in the journal Social Influence, reported that 76 percent of participants who received a hug agreed to view the holiday pictures, while only 52 percent of those who were not hugged agreed.

Professor Karen Dobkins, a senior author of the study from the University of California San Diego's Department of Psychology, explained that human touch can elicit feelings of safety and security, which may translate into a sense of warmth and increased liking towards the person initiating the hug. She suggested that a hug serves as a simple, non-verbal method of connection that could be more effective than a formal handshake in building intimacy, especially in situations like meeting a partner's parents or friends of friends.

The research team designed the study to indirectly gauge participants' feelings about the interaction. After agreeing to join a study about touch, participants were randomly assigned to receive a hug, a handshake, or no touch. As a diversion, they completed a questionnaire on hugging habits. The true assessment of their feelings came when researchers casually offered to show holiday pictures from a recent trip to Serbia. The number of photos viewed and the time spent looking at them were used to determine how much participants liked the researcher.

The findings indicated that the duration of the hug (one to three seconds) and the presence of patting did not significantly alter the outcome; all forms of hugs appeared to foster greater liking. Conversely, those who received a handshake or no touch viewed fewer pictures, suggesting less affinity. Participants who reported enjoying a hug more, on a scale of one to five, were also more inclined to view the hugger's holiday photos.

Previous research cited by Professor Dobkins has linked frequent hugs to reduced rates of viral infections and decreased stress responses in women. Additionally, couples who increased their physical closeness, such as through cuddling, reported higher relationship satisfaction. This body of work suggests that hugs possess a significant positive influence on human connection and well-being.