Acta Psychologica: ideal hugs last five to ten seconds 
Ideal hugs last five to ten seconds. This is the conclusion reached by scientists from Goldsmith University. They conducted a study with the participation of 48 volunteers, the results are published in the scientific journal Acta Psychologica.
The researchers wanted to find out what factors influence the perception of hugs and how they affect the psychological state of a person. The duration of tactile contact, hand position, emotional closeness, gender and behavior of a person were taken into account.
The participants in the experiment were blindfolded, and then they hugged the same person several times in a row in different ways – for example, they crossed their arms in a different way or change their location on the partner's body. Then they described their feelings.
As a result, the authors of the study came to find out that the most pleasant for a person would be a hug, which lasts from five to ten seconds. At the same time, the first hugs felt more awkward and less controlled than the subsequent ones. Also less pleasant were the hugs lasting a second. But the method of hugs did not affect the emotional perception.
Earlier, American scientists named the most effective ways of flirting. Research has shown that when there is competition, it is better to use techniques such as touching, making eye contact, hugging, and giggling at jokes to gain sympathy with your partner.