From: CNN
Science confirms what the heart already knows: Hugs really do make you feel better
October 31, 2018
Feeling down in the dumps? Stressed? A little off-kilter because of some disagreement?
Hug it out! A new study suggests that just reaching out and touching someone — consensually, of course — can reduce bad feelings associated with the typical ups and downs of our social interactions.
The study from the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, published this week in PLOS ONE, looked at the social interactions of more than 400 people over two weeks. A summary of their daily activities, moods and physical interactions revealed a causal link between emotional states, conflicts and the number of hugs a person gave or received.
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The study was authored by Michael Murphy, a postdoctoral research associate at the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon. In the study, he says the research could be improved upon by pinpointing exactly what kind of social relationships were involved in a hug — a stranger or someone you were arguing with, for example, as opposed to a lover or an all-healing embrace from Mom.
Read the whole story (subscription may be required): CNN
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