Effects of Hugs on Emotions

Topic: Behavior is an observable action of human beings and nonhuman animals

‘Hug’ as an interactive behavior

A hug is perceived as a form of physical intimacy. Many people believe that hugging is a ways of exchanging passionate feelings between each two people. People hug at night and at times in broad daylight. Hugging in the 21st century is viewed as a gesture of goodness or appreciation. People engage in various types of hugs. For instance, romantic hugs, hailing hugs and friendly hugs are among the common forms of hug. A hug can portray many things depending on the context, culture and relationship in which it is used. The word can be used to depict friendship, love, brotherhood, sympathy and affection (Fairhurst et. al, 2014). People who are sexually active tend to use the gesture to portray their love for each other as hugging is a form of romantic gesture used by couples.  This document explores the history of hugging and ways to learn as well as continue with the culture (Fairhurst et.al, 2014).

The word ‘hug’ is perceived to have emerged from two theories. The first theory perpetuates that the word ‘hug’ originated from the Old Nurse vocabulary ‘hugga’. Hugga in this context meant comfort. The second theory says that the word ‘hug’ originated from a German word ‘hugjan’ which means to thought or having something in mind. A number of researchers associate the origin of the word to the German word ‘hegen’ which means to ‘cherish’. The word was first used in the year 1610 in a community that practiced wrestling culture to refer to a form of tight grip on the opponent’s waist.  It was later used in the 1650s to a gesture of ‘affectionate embrace’. Hug was used to consolidate comfort (Cohen et. al, 2015). The word Hug was used in the semantic language to refer to ’emotional response’. The gesture was used in ancient battles to show the enemy that the war could not begin without fighting weapons. The gesture of hugging can be linked to the ancient ideology of human civilizations. According to Rossano, hugging was a ritual behaviour in the upper Paleolithic European Cro-Magnons. Rossano say that hugging was used by the apes a reconciliation gesture. In this case, hugging was used by the primate family as a gesture of reconciliation and restoring broken relationships.  The notion has advanced over time as hugging is used to show affection, greeting and a sense of appreciation in the 21st century.

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In the 21st century, hugging has become a normal gesture that is done in public. People between the opposite sexes tend to hug in public as a gesture of friendship. As a result, hugging has transformed from a gesture of reconciliation and gained a variety of meanings (Cohen et. al, 2015). In the current social set up, people of opposite sexes depict diverse meaning from the act of hugging. Couples may hug to portray romance, reconciliation after a domestic misunderstanding and the existence of love in their relationship. However, hugging has lost its ritualistic meaning in the current society (Field et. al, 2010). This aspect has led to a diversity of critics from the ethical point of view. Hugging between people of opposite sex is restricted in various companies as workers may get different perception of the act. Webster says that in the current social set up, people tend to be afraid of hugging in official environments such as at work place due to the idea that the act might be perceived as sexual. Webster presents an ethical norm as in some setting, hugging is viewed as a sexual gesture rather than a sign of reconciliation, brotherhood or friendship (Hunter & Struve, 1998). This notion has led to the introduction of reformed mode of hugging known as the ‘A-frame’ in order to present a clear picture of the people involved in the act. The ‘A-frame’ hug entails the contact of the upper body of the people who are hugging. The ‘A-frame’ hug is used to create clarity of people who engage in the act. ‘A-frame’ hugs are used mostly in a working environment as it portrays ethical morals at work (Hunter & Struve, 1998). The new way of hugging has played a key role in preserving the moral concept at workplace. In the south Asian countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, people from opposite sexes are requiring to maintain discipline at work. This notion implies that hugs can also be viewed as unethical depending on the way it is done.

Hugs present mixed perceptions on the relationship between people who are engaged in the close body contact action. Controlling the act of hugging may lead to limiting the emotional conscience of people who are fond of the act. In this case, people out to learn about the ethical concept of hug I order to get a clear message presented by act.

References

Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., Turner, R.B., & Doyle, W.J. (2015). Does Hugging Provide Stress-Buffering Social Support? A Study of Susceptibility to Upper Respiratory Infection and Illness. Psychological Science, 26(2): 135-147.

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Fairhurst, M. T., Löken, L., & Grossmann, T. (2014). Physiological and behavioral responses reveal 9-month-old infants’ sensitivity to pleasant touch. Psychological Science, 25(5): 1124-1131.

Field, T. (2010). Touch for socio-emotional and physical well-being: A review. Developmental Review, 30(4), 367-383.

Hunter M & Struve J. (1998). The Ethical Use of Touch in Psychotherapy: The Ethical Use of Touch in Psychotherapy. New York: SAGE

Rossano, M.J. (2009). Ritual Behaviour and the Origins of Modern Cognition. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 19(2): 243-56.