Men are five times more likely to find hugs arousing
Men are almost five times more likely than women to remember hugs as arousing: 3.9 per cent versus 0.8 per cent.
A study published in PLOS One asked more than 15,000 adults about their hug experiences. Men were almost five times more likely than women to recall a hug because it felt arousing.
About 3.9 per cent of men linked hugs to arousal, compared with just 0.8 per cent of women. Women more often connected hugs with comfort and emotional support.
Overall, 70 per cent of people remembered hugs for their positive emotional impact, with comfort and support being the top reasons. Researchers stressed that arousal was uncommon overall across the group.
People who regularly hugged friends and family were more likely to remember the experience positively.
- 3.9 percent
- Men finding arousal
- 0.8 percent
- Women finding arousal
- 70 percent
- Positive emotional recall
- More than 15,000 adults
- Study size
Why it mattersUnderstanding how differently men and women experience physical contact helps explain why people interpret the same gesture in very different ways.
AustraliaThe findings apply universally to how Australians experience and interpret physical affection in relationships and friendships.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
