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Whether it’s an affectionate cuddle or an awkward squeeze, everyone has their own style of hug.
But the way you embrace could reveal parts of your personality, according to a new study.
Experts used advanced AI video analysis technology to investigate hugs carried out between friends and romantic partners.
Participants were asked to repeatedly walk towards each other and embrace, as well as answer questionnaires about their personality.
Analysis revealed that romantic partners hugged much longer than platonic friends. While lovebirds hugged for 7.02 seconds on average, friends only hugged for 2.88 seconds.
Hugging tightness, however, was strongly influenced by personality.
‘People who showed high neuroticism – a personality trait characterised by issues with dealing well with negative emotions – preferred a larger distance during hugging and, thus, less tight hugs,’ author Professor Sebastian Ocklenburg, from MSH Medical School in Hamburg, wrote on Psychology Today.
‘In contrast, people with conscientiousness – a personality trait characterised by responsibility and carefulness – preferred shorter distances to their hugging partner and, thus, tighter hugs.’
Analysis revealed that romantic partners hugged much longer than platonic friends. While lovebirds hugged for 7.02 seconds on average, friends only hugged for 2.88 seconds (file image)
The research, published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour, also revealed that there was no significant difference found for the distances of different body parts – such as knees or feet – between huggers who were lovers or who were friends.
‘While one could think that couples hug closer than friends, there were some couples with rather large distances between them,’ Professor Ocklenburg said.
‘The study also included some friends who hugged quite tightly. Thus, hugging tightness did not differ between friends and couples – a surprising insight.’
He said the next time you want to know if someone likes you as a friend or perhaps a little bit more, it could be worth paying attention to how long they hug you when saying goodbye.
‘Less than three seconds? You are clearly in the friend zone,’ he said.
‘Seven seconds or more? They may have more feelings for you than you may have thought.’
Researchers have previously identified the science behind the perfect hug, by asking participants for feedback on embraces of different durations and styles.
Longer hugs, between five and 10 seconds, were more pleasant than very short hugs last just one second, the experts found, but arm position didn’t seem to matter.
AI examined the way two people hugged as part of the study. Analysis revealed people who scored high for neuroticism tended to give less–tight hugs
Results suggest ‘special care should be taken to avoid extremely brief hugs’, although the researchers don’t know exactly when a hug becomes too long and awkward.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London.
‘Hugging is one of the most common types of affective touch encountered in everyday life,’ they said.
Interestingly, criss–cross hugs were the most common type of embrace, they discovered, while height difference did not significantly influence hugging style.
HUGS REALLY MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER AFTER AN ARGUMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A ‘CALMING EFFECT’ ON THE NERVES
A hug really does make you feel better after an argument, according to a 2018 study.
Holding hands also improves a person’s mood after a conflict, and the effect lasts into the next day, the authors at Carnegie Mellon University found.
Studying 400 people, the team found those who shared a hug with the person they’d fought with were less likely to harbor negative feelings in the hours and days after.
This adds weight to other studies showing affectionate human touch has a calming effect on the nerves, they said.
Read more: A hug calms your nerves after an argument, study finds
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What your HUGS reveal about you, according to science
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