Science Says You Should Embrace Hugging
Science
Says You Should Embrace Hugging
http://time.com/5413957/hugs-are-good-for-you/
A study was conducted with 404 participants who were
interviewed over the phone every night for two weeks. During each interview a
series of questions were asked and recorded in regards to their mood that day,
if they came in contact with any conflict and whether or not they had been
hugged. Researchers found that the mood of person increased when hugged. Although
the opposite occurred when a person had some sort of conflict in their day. The
participants in the study recorded that on days where they experienced conflict
and no hugs, they experienced more negative feelings. Where as on days that the
participants were hugged, they felt more positive feelings. Gender, age, race, marital
status, social interactions and overall mood of each participant did not affect
the trend that remained true throughout the study. Due to hugging, a person experienced
a decrease in negative feelings. Lastly, the research study includes the physiological
benefits of receiving hugs. When a person receives physical touch the hormone
oxytocin which can enhance one’s mood is said to be released. As well as a
reduction in stress.
As we discuss the limbic system in class there were
multiple structures around the upper brain stem that we spoke about. One of
those structures was the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus controls our autonomic
nervous system. This is in the brain but it also controls what happens in our
heart, lungs and sweat activity. The hormone released when a person receives
physical touch is produced by the hypothalamus, called oxytocin. The hypothalamus has the job of
regulating most of the things in our body, such as our emotions. Just like in
this study, the negative emotions that a person felt before and after the hug occurred
is due to the release of oxytocin. The job of the hypothalamus have occurred when
those emotions shift from negative to positive. We also learned that the
hypothalamus is part of the endocrine system that takes part in the release of
hormones into our bloodstream.
This study is very interesting because it shows that one simple action can affect a person's whole mood for the day. Since we are on the emotions chapter in class, we learned that the facial feedback hypothesis is when certain muscles in our face can affect our actual emotion. Although hugging does not involve our face muscles, it is a nonverbal cue that can affect our emotions and it produced positive feelings. It is important to know that simple gestures can have a huge impact on a person.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned that if having encountered conflict that day, a person’s mood could decrease with hugging, could it also be considered that oxytocin is selectively released based in the individual giving the hug? Could we propose that some people’s naturally negative temperament or “vibes” can affect how the person receiving the hug reacts, therefore negatively affecting their mood? Is the receiving person comfortable or do they enjoy the other person’s company? I feel these factors, among experiencing conflict, could also influence how the hug is received and consequently determine whether the bonding hormone is released. What’s more, this information is interesting, because it encourages more research into the medical benefits of oxytocin release. For instance, in improving clinical depression or anxiety, hugging could be used for rehabilitation, where a routinely affectionate embrace could decrease feelings of stress and helplessness.
ReplyDeleteI find this article interesting because not all hugs make a person feel better. In class, we talked about how smiling can send signals to the brain to release hormones that make us feel better. Does it work with hugs too? If a person smiles before receiving a hug, will the brain release oxytocin? I am also interested in what Karen said about selective release of oxytocin. What happens when the hug is not welcome by the person receiving it? Will Oxytocin still be released?
ReplyDeleteJust one hug can change the day for anyone from upside down to good. I enjoyed this read as a whole. I think it is one of those must reads. As you know, in class, we have been learning about the ventral tegmental area earlier which deals with love and emotions. Dopamine involved in mood so the hug increases it. Also, person feels increased levels of pleasure sometimes. This is what I think about this article.
ReplyDeleteThe effects of hugging are possibly not only a result of chemical releases but might also be a result of how our bodies react to that hug. As we’ve discussed in class, the cognitive theory states that we feel emotions based on the intensity of and emotion producing stimulus. It could be appraised according to our social and environmental influence or just our physiological response to a hug. When people hugs us, our bodies try to relax, possibly due the oxytocin referred to in the article, but there is also temperature and the recognition of the other person to consider. Getting hugged from someone you may not know very well may not be as impactful as getting hugged by a very close friend of family member. When you consider these social influences as well as how easily our bodies relax with a family member versus a friend, we may be more inclined to receive these positive emotions. So while the release of oxytocin is important when embracing hugs, there is also the other physiological responses and social influences to consider when embracing hugs.
ReplyDelete