According to a new study, a hug really does make you feel better after an argument.
The study also found that holding hands too improves a persons's mood after a conflict, and the effect lasts into the next day.
The research, carried out at Carnegie Mellon University, studied 400 people and found those who shared a hug with the person they'd fought with were less likely to harbour negative feelings in the hours and days after.
They believe this adds weight to other studies showing affectionate human touch has a calming effect on the nerves.
According to Dr Michael Murphy, of Carnegie Mellon University, non-sexual interpersonal touch is emerging as an important topic in the study of adult social relationships.
He said, “Interpersonal touch can be defined as touch behaviours for example hugging and holding hands that are used to communicate affection or are generally thought to indicate affection.”
He further added that multiple evidence suggest that individuals who engage more frequently in interpersonal touch enjoy better physical, psychological, and relational health.
Severe or repeated distress from arguments can build up feelings of anxiety, paranoia, loneliness, and depression. If that accumulates, it can put someone at risk psychiatric illnesses and suicide.
Touch may buffer against these consequences by promoting a number of positive interpersonal processes thought to communicate care and inclusion and be protective in the face of conflict, Dr Murphy explained.
So the new study focused on hugs - a relatively common support behaviour that individuals engage in with a wide range of social partners.
Pooling the results, they saw a clear correlation between hugs and moods.
Those who shared a hug with the person they'd been fighting with were more likely to feel positive emotions after, and less likely to feel negative emotions.
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
