hug
A hug is a form of body contact that usually involves wrapping your arms around another person's neck, back, or waist; if more than two people are involved, it is usually referred to as a group hug . A hug involves non-verbal communication , which is often complemented by kissing , eye contact, or other gestures. Depending on the situation, culture and social relationship , a hug can be an expression of familiarity, love , affection or friendship . Often people hug each other as a sign of recognition, support, encouragement, or consolation.
Although a hug is considered an intrusion into the personal sphere, it can usually be done in public without stigma . If it happens unexpectedly, it is often perceived as a violation of personal distance.
The word hug is also used for sexual intercourse .
distribution
Hugging between older people is usually not a ritual . However, among younger people, the hug has become a popular greeting gesture in both Europe and the United States . As a result, some schools in the United States introduced restrictions and bans on hugs, causing strong student protests.
Children often hug toys such as dolls or cuddly toys , but mostly their parents when they seek protection from them because they are afraid or feel threatened.
Hugs are predominantly carried out on the right-hand side, but this preference shifts to the left, the more emotional the hug is. This shift is likely due to interactions between emotional and motor networks in the brain.
In Spain and Latin America , hugs are a common greeting at special celebrations and occasions, such as the New Year . In the Roman Catholic Church , a hug as part of the peace kiss can be used instead of a kiss.
In some cultures a hug is not understood as a symbol of affection or love, for example in the Himba people in Namibia .
Primates and dogs
Hugging is not a behavior that is unique to humans. Patricia McConnell has found, however, that dogs are less fond of being hugged than humans and other primates , because for them the spreading of a body part over another animal is an expression of dominance .
Health consequences
It has been scientifically proven that hugs have positive effects on health. Studies have shown that they promote the production of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin , reduce blood pressure and have a preventive effect against depression .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Kathleen Keating: The Hug Therapy Book . Hazelden PES, 1994, ISBN 1-56838-094-1 . (English)
- ↑ Vocabulary - eng_newscrawl_2011 - hug. Retrieved April 25, 2020 .
- ↑ Words Project - Quotes by Max Frisch. Retrieved April 25, 2020 .
- ↑ Sarah Kershaw: For Teenagers, Hello Means 'How About a Hug?' . The New York Times . May 27, 2009. Accessed May 29, 2009. (English)
- ↑ Denise Grant: Students pan hugging ban . April 15, 2010. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed June 2, 2012. (English)
- ↑ Gesundheitkompakt.de: Hugs are the best comfort for children when they are afraid
- ↑ Julian Packheiser, Noemi Rook, Zeynep Dursun, Janne Mesenhöller, Alrescha Wenglorz, Onur Güntürkün, Sebastian Ocklenburg: Embracing your emotions: affective state impacts lateralisation of human embraces. In: Psychological Research. 83, 2019, p. 26, doi : 10.1007 / s00426-018-0985-8 .
- ↑ Sebastian Ocklenburg, Julian Packheiser, Judith Schmitz, Noemi Rook, Onur Güntürkün, Jutta Peterburs, Gina M. Grimshaw: Hugs and kisses - The role of motor preferences and emotional lateralization for hemispheric asymmetries in human social touch. In: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews . Volume 95, 2018, pp. 353-360. DOI: 10.1016 / j.neubiorev.2018.10.007 . (Review)
- ↑ Patricia McConnell: The Other End of the Leash , 1st. Edition, Ballantine Books, June 4, 2002, ISBN 978-0-345-44679-4 . (English)
- ↑ How hugs can aid women's hearts . BBC News . August 8, 2005. Accessed November 28, 2008. (English)
- ↑ Sarah Wagner: Healing Touch: Hug replaces pills . October 4, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
