Why Some People Hate Being Hugged, According to Science

If you hate being hugged, the world can be a challenging place. You never know when someone you’re meeting for a quick coffee will approach you, arms open wide, coming in for an embrace. Your options are limited: you can awkwardly dodge the gesture, stick out your hand for a handshake, or submit to the unwanted bear hug. Regardless of whether you are pro or anti-embrace, here’s everything to know about the human behavior of hugging: Why people love or loathe hugging So why is it that some people love a good hug, while others abhor them? According to experts, it may have something to do with how you were raised. “Our tendency to engage in physical touch—whether hugging, a pat on the back, or linking arms with a friend—is often a product of our early childhood experiences,” says Suzanne Degges-White, a professor of Counseling and Counselor Education at Northern Illinois University. A 2012 study published in Comprehensive Psychology found that people who were raised by parents who were frequent huggers were more likely to be huggers in adulthood. The study concluded that, “hugging is an important element in a child’s emotional upbringing.” Conversely, Degges-White says, for people raised by devout non-huggers, the very thought of hugging might make them uncomfortable. “In a family that was not typically physically demonstrative, children may grow up and follow that same pattern with their own kids,” she says. Sti...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized behavior hugging Living psychology Source Type: news