Professor Ocklenburg, your research includes, among other things, the effects of hugs on our psyche. Who is your favorite person to hug?
My wife, of course.
In which situation do we have a particularly strong need to be hugged?
Hugs are actually possible in all emotional situations in life – they are, so to speak, the all-purpose weapon of non-verbal communication. If we are happy or want to congratulate someone on a great event, we hug each other. But even in a situation in which we need comfort, we want to be hugged by another person. And the hug has also become established as a form of greeting – i.e. in a completely unemotional situation.
What happens in our bodies when we hug?
In general, hugs affect two major hormonal systems in the human body. On the one hand, the bonding system: When people hug each other, the bonding hormone oxytocin is released more intensively. One function of the hormone is to strengthen the bond between people. On the other hand, hugs influence the stress system by reducing the release of stress hormones. This is due to the release of oxytocin. You have to think of it like this: in a stressful situation, for example before an exam, a hug can reduce nervousness. If someone takes us in their arms and suggests that we are not alone, we find it helpful and nice.
Sebastian Ocklenburg is a professor of research methods at the Medical School Hamburg and, among other things, researches the effects of hugs on our psyche.
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Can you elaborate on why regular hugging is important for our psyche?
Because, on the one hand, hugs reduce stress: We know from psychological research that stress can generally be a major risk factor for psychological stress or illness. This means that by reducing this, mental health is essentially promoted. On the other hand, humans are social creatures. The lack of social connections negatively affects our social well-being. We observed this during the pandemic, when we hardly had any social contacts. There are studies that show that some people have found the lack of touch to be a major burden. Because: Touch is used early in life for communication. For example, what do parents do when their baby cries? They take it in their arms. Touch can calm the baby. Hugs are a very old phenomenon in human development and promote our social bonds.
Do hugs also have positive effects on our physical health?
Yes, you have. One psychological study showed this: During the course of this study, test subjects were intentionally infected with a cold virus. At the same time, the researchers observed how much physical contact the test subjects had. Those who hugged a lot had a lower chance of contracting the virus. And if they were infected, these test subjects had a milder course. It is thought that this has something to do with the negative impact of stress on the immune system. If this is reduced by a hug, it strengthens physical health.
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