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A study conducted by researchers from the University of California San Diego found that hugging strangers upon initial greeting may increase likability more than a handshake or no contact at all. In an experiment involving 330 participants, 76% were willing to view holiday photos after receiving a hug compared to just 52% who did not receive one. Professor Karen Dobkins attributes this effect to evolutionary programming that associates human touch with safety and positive feelings.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A study by 18 researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of California San Diego found that greeting strangers with a hug can increase likability compared to just a handshake or no physical contact. The study involved 330 strangers, who were asked if they wanted to see holiday pictures after being greeted in one of these three ways. Among those hugged, 76 percent agreed to look at the photos, while only 52 percent from the non-hugged group did so. Professor Karen Dobkins, a senior author of the study, suggests that human touch triggers evolutionary feelings of safety and warmth, potentially making strangers feel more positive toward you if you hug them.
Written for “Hugging Makes People Like You More” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Greeting someone you've never met before with a hug rather than just a polite handshake could do more than simply break the ice – it may encourage them to like you more, a study suggests.
uncertain
study → greet → you
A team of 18 researchers greeted 330 strangers with either a hug, a handshake or with no touch at all, then asked the strangers if they wanted to see their holiday pictures.
asserted
they → greet → pictures
The strangers' willingness to look at the snaps was used to judge how much they liked the person greeting them.
asserted
they → look → them
Among people who received a hug from the person they'd just met, 76 per cent were willing to look at their holiday pictures, while of those not hugged, only 52 per cent said 'yes'.
asserted
cent → receive → those
The senior author of the study, Professor Karen Dobkins, from the Department of Psychology at the University of California San Diego, said: 'We are evolutionarily programmed to feel safe and secure when we experience human touch.
asserted
we → say → touch
'If you hug someone you don't know, that could make them feel these positive feelings, and a sense of warmth towards you.'
uncertain
them → hug → you
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