This passage is excerpted from Kasley Killam, “A Hug A Day Keeps the Doctor Away,” © Scientific American 2015.
During my final semester of undergrad, I made two signs
that read, “Feeling stressed about exams? Have a free hug!”
Then I recruited a friend and we stood in the entrance of the
campus library, held up the signs, and waited. [Passersby] had
one of two reactions: Either they quickly looked down at their
phones and awkwardly shuffled by, or their faces lit up as they
embraced us. Most people were enthusiastic. Some exclaimed,
“You made my day!” or “Thank you. I needed this.” One leapt
into my arms, nearly toppling me over. After two hours of
warm interactions, my friend and I couldn’t believe how
energized and happy we felt.
A study published earlier this month suggests that, in
addition to making us feel connected with others, all those hugs
may have prevented us from getting sick. At first, this finding
probably seems counterintuitive (not to mention bizarre). You
might think, like I did, that hugging hundreds of strangers
would increase your exposure to germs and therefore the
likelihood of falling ill. But the new research out of Carnegie
Mellon indicates that feeling connected to others, especially
through physical touch, protects us from stress-induced
sickness. This research adds to a large amount of evidence for
the positive influence of social support on health.
Social support can broadly be defined as the perception of
meaningful relationships that serve as a psychological resource
during tough times. More specifically, this means emotional
support, such as expressions of compassion, and may include
access to information or other assistance. The researchers
measured social support by giving out a questionnaire in which
participants rated different statements (e.g. “I feel that there is
no one I can share my most private worries and fears with.”).
Then, they conducted interviews every night for two weeks to
find out how often participants experienced conflict with others
and how often they received hugs. Finally, the researchers
infected participants with a common cold virus and observed
what happened.
Several interesting results emerged. Encouragingly, people
overall had a strong sense of social support, as shown by a high
median score on the questionnaire. Similarly, they were more
likely to be hugged (which happened on an average of 68% of
days during the two-week interview period) than to experience
conflict (7% of days).
The most important results, however, were what the
researchers deemed a “stress-buffering effect.” Keep in mind
that interpersonal conflict can cause people a lot of stress and
thereby weaken their immune systems. Yet regardless of how
much conflict they endured, participants with a strong sense of
social support developed less severe cold symptoms than those
who felt socially deprived. Likewise, the more often people
hugged, the less likely they were to get sick, even among
individuals who frequently had tense interactions. In other
words, both social support and hugging prevented against
illness. The same lead researcher has previously shown that the
more diverse types of social ties a person has, such as with
friends, family, coworkers, and community, the less susceptible
to colds they are.
Evidently, just as we prioritize exercise and nutrition, we
ought to prioritize quality time with loved ones; just as we
avoid unhealthy habits like smoking, we should make effort to
avoid isolation and to counter social exclusion. And even if
you don’t want to hug hundreds of strangers (although I
recommend trying it), don’t underestimate the healing power of
touch.
During my final semester of undergrad, I made two signs
that read, “Feeling stressed about exams? Have a free hug!”
Then I recruited a friend and we stood in the entrance of the
campus library, held up the signs, and waited. [Passersby] had
one of two reactions: Either they quickly looked down at their
phones and awkwardly shuffled by, or their faces lit up as they
embraced us. Most people were enthusiastic. Some exclaimed,
“You made my day!” or “Thank you. I needed this.” One leapt
into my arms, nearly toppling me over. After two hours of
warm interactions, my friend and I couldn’t believe how
energized and happy we felt.
A study published earlier this month suggests that, in
addition to making us feel connected with others, all those hugs
may have prevented us from getting sick. At first, this finding
probably seems counterintuitive (not to mention bizarre). You
might think, like I did, that hugging hundreds of strangers
would increase your exposure to germs and therefore the
likelihood of falling ill. But the new research out of Carnegie
Mellon indicates that feeling connected to others, especially
through physical touch, protects us from stress-induced
sickness. This research adds to a large amount of evidence for
the positive influence of social support on health.
Social support can broadly be defined as the perception of
meaningful relationships that serve as a psychological resource
during tough times. More specifically, this means emotional
support, such as expressions of compassion, and may include
access to information or other assistance. The researchers
measured social support by giving out a questionnaire in which
participants rated different statements (e.g. “I feel that there is
no one I can share my most private worries and fears with.”).
Then, they conducted interviews every night for two weeks to
find out how often participants experienced conflict with others
and how often they received hugs. Finally, the researchers
infected participants with a common cold virus and observed
what happened.
Several interesting results emerged. Encouragingly, people
overall had a strong sense of social support, as shown by a high
median score on the questionnaire. Similarly, they were more
likely to be hugged (which happened on an average of 68% of
days during the two-week interview period) than to experience
conflict (7% of days).
The most important results, however, were what the
researchers deemed a “stress-buffering effect.” Keep in mind
that interpersonal conflict can cause people a lot of stress and
thereby weaken their immune systems. Yet regardless of how
much conflict they endured, participants with a strong sense of
social support developed less severe cold symptoms than those
who felt socially deprived. Likewise, the more often people
hugged, the less likely they were to get sick, even among
individuals who frequently had tense interactions. In other
words, both social support and hugging prevented against
illness. The same lead researcher has previously shown that the
more diverse types of social ties a person has, such as with
friends, family, coworkers, and community, the less susceptible
to colds they are.
Evidently, just as we prioritize exercise and nutrition, we
ought to prioritize quality time with loved ones; just as we
avoid unhealthy habits like smoking, we should make effort to
avoid isolation and to counter social exclusion. And even if
you don’t want to hug hundreds of strangers (although I
recommend trying it), don’t underestimate the healing power of
touch.