While hugging is a common part of everyday life, little is known about why some hugs leave a lasting impression. The study, published in PLOS One today [28 Oct], is the first to examine autobiographical memories of hugging among a large sample of UK adults.
The research is based on data from the Touch Test, a large-scale survey on attitudes and experiences of touch. Using data from more than 15,000 participants, researchers investigated whether people remembered a hug for its emotional impact, the reasons why it stood out, and whether individual characteristics, including empathy and attachment style, could predict the likelihood of recalling such memories.
Among the key findings, around 70% of participants (nearly seven in ten people) remembered a hug because of the positive feelings it inspired. Those who were more empathetic and attuned to their bodily experiences were particularly likely to recall these meaningful moments, highlighting the role individual differences play in shaping emotional touch memories.
In contrast, people who were less comfortable with emotional closeness were less likely to report such memories. Also, men and women differed in what they found most memorable about the experience.
Anna Lena Dueren, Honorary Researcher in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Bristol, and lead author, said: "Our findings offer new insights into the psychological factors that shape people's experiences of social touch.
"For many people, affectionate physical contact can become part of their lasting personal memories because they communicate comfort, support and understanding, with individual personality differences shaping how these experiences are remembered."
While the findings offer valuable insights, the researchers note several limitations. The results may not be directly applicable to cultures with different attitudes around physical contact and personal space, and women accounted for 75% of participants. In addition, the study design cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships between personality traits, hugging experiences and the formation of hug-related memories.
However, the study provides an important new perspective on the psychological factors that shape how people experience social touch, while advancing understanding of how emotionally meaningful touch contributes to the formation of autobiographical memories.
Paper
'Why we hug: Individual differences predict emotional touch memories' by Anna Lena Dueren, Paul M Jenkinson, Aikaterini Vafeiadou, Michael J Banissy et al. in PLOS One [open access]
