Does Hugging Provide Stress-Buffering Social Support? Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University conducted a study on whether hugs can help decrease the likely-hood of physiological infection in stressed individuals. The head researcher, Sheldon Cohen, chose to study hugging because it determines the closeness and intimacy of a relationship, is an act of social support, and therefore, eliminates feelings of isolation that can result in stress and poor immunity. The subjects of the study consisted of 404 healthy adults assessed by means of a questionnaire to determine perceived support, and telephone interviews over 14 consecutive evenings to establish the frequencies of interpersonal conflicts and receiving hugs. Following this, the participants
Weger Jr., H. and Polcar, L. E., (2002). Attachment Style and Person-Centered Comforting. Western Journal of Communication, 66(1) (Winter 2002), 84-103.
Roth, D. L., Perkins, M., Wadley, V. G., Temple, E. M., & Haley, W. E. (2009). Family Caregiving and Emotional Strain: Associations with Quality of Life in a Large National Sample of Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Quality of Life Research , 18, 679-688.
Being supportive is vital in maintaining a strong relationship because support builds confidence and gives
Constantino, R., Kim, Y., & Crane, P. (2005). Effects of a social support intervention on health outcomes in residents of a domestic violence shelter: A pilot study. Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 26(6), 575--590.
Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P.R. (1999). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: The Guilford Press.
The most supportive of friends are manifest during life’s toughest of obstacles. They are the ones that help us power through the storm. Karen Karbo claims, “Most of us would prefer to think that we love our friends because of who they are, not because of the ways in which they support who we are. It sounds vaguely narcissistic, and yet the studies bear it out.”(156) while Yvette and I stated off as simple associates, she was soon to be reviled as my most supportive friend. She was just another co-worker. However, after our bosses went through a divorce, our most dependable co-worker moved, and another reunited with her drug habit, Yvette was the only one I could depend on. Together we became an unbreakable team. We could run the front office without any flaws. Since our friendship was growing we became even more supportive of each other, if one was slacking the other would step up and make sure the task was completed. We would switch off on answering the phones and taking on a challenging customer. Occasionally we would go out for a drink to destress from work. We had just started taking our girls out on play dates, and hanging out on weekends. One night my mom called me to let me know she had made other plans for the following night and I needed to figure out another arrangement for my daughter. Most nights I depend on my mom to watch my daughter so I can go to class, and when she is unable my sister will step in. In
She was rejecting towards her children’s emotions, not giving them the emotional support they needed. Maggie now has disdain for her mother, whereas Milo still seemed hopeful for his Mother’s love and support. People who have lack of social support are more likely to be vulnerable to major depressive disorder, (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2014). The twin’s mother’s behavior clearly worsened the twin’s problems with depression during her visit. Excessive reassurance seeking can result when one experiences social rejection, especially if the person experiences the rejection frequently, (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2014). The interpersonal difficulties that their mother caused as children follow them into adulthood, (Barbour, n.d.). This becomes a cycle, the interpersonal difficulties that have become chronic continue to worsen depression and continuing the interpersonal difficulties, (Barbour, n.d.). This is Beck’s cognitive theory at play here. Early experiences form dysfunctional beliefs, critical incidents activate these beliefs, and the negative thoughts become automatic, (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2014). Social support is a critical variable in depression, (Barbour, n.d.). This is because the extent a person likes someone is directly correlated with how much one is willing to help and support that person, (Barbour, n.d.). Milo and
Hazan, C., Gur-Yaish, N., & Campa, M. (2003). What does it mean to be attached? In W. S. Rholes & J. A. Simpson (Eds.) Adult Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications, (pp. 55 – 85). New York: Guilford.
the role of illness characteristics, caregiving, and attachment. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 15(6), 632-645. doi:10.1080/13548506.2010.498891.
Norton, J. (2003). The Limitations of Attachment Theory for Adult Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy in Australia, 10(1), 58-63.
According to authors Danielle J Dolin and Melanie Booth-Butterfield (1993)in their article, "Reach Out and Touch Someone: Analysis of Nonverbal Comforting", they report that in today’s society many people live in distress and look for the comfort and support of touch from their closest relationships. Their study extended research on comforting strategies with the use of haptics and showed a positive correlation between the two (Dolin & Booth-Butterfield, 1993). Using Ninety-three students as participants, nonverbal comforting responses to a hypothetical scenario were collected (1993).Serving as the dependant variable, the use of an appropriate scenario where comforting responses could be used, including haptics, was the study(1993). The data reported that a mean of 3.5 units, or comforting responses, were used by each person(1993). Two of Dolin's and Booth-Butterfield's(1993) hypothesis predicted correctly. The study (1993) depicted the following:
"The Power of Love Hugs and Cuddles Have Long-Term Effects." News in Health, February 2007 - National Institutes of Health (NIH). News in Health, Feb. 2007. Web. 08 Mar. 2014.
Personal networks consist of close friends, family members and other trusted people (Wrzus, Hanel, Wagner & Neyer, 2013). Family relationships today, compared to pervious generations, are less duty driven and more focused around personal affection (Lowenstein, Katz & Gur-Yaish, 2007). In most people’s lives, young or old, they are communicating for affection. They are showing that they are concerned about one another and they’re showing that they care about what is going on in each others lives (Fowler, 2009). When older adults are coming from a low socioeconomic and low education background, they are more likely to have a stronger emotional bond with their family and less likely to suffer from some sort of chronic illness (Lowenstein et al., 2007).
69 REASONS FOR HUGS AND HUGGING Why hugs are important to share. 1. What is the difference between a. and a. Hugs make us feel good. 2. What is the difference between a..
Negative emotions can affect your immunity system and can make you more prone to cough, cold and other minor ailments. In a scientific study, it was proved that chronic stress can reduce our longevity by depleting telomeres, the end caps of our DNA. In another research conducted on atherosclerosis patients by the Duke University Medical Center, it was discovered that the patients who were supported by their friends or spouse has the mortality rate of 50% while the patients who didn’t had any support had just 17% mortality rate.