Cyber-Love

Long-distance relationships are common these days—but they don’t mitigate the need for affection. We humans still need love, even if it’s from someone thousands of miles away. Of course, most of us realize that affection expressed over the phone, through text or Tweet, or via Skype isn’t the same as the real thing…but can it benefit us nonetheless?

Recently, a team of Japanese scientists conducted an intriguing experiment to find out. They asked women to have a telephone conversation with a male confederate while seated next to a Hugvie, a human-shaped cushion phone that resembles a person opening his or her arms for a hug. Participants were able to touch and hug the Hugvie while talking on the phone, providing a tactile experience unavailable to a control group (who simply spoke on the phone with the confederate). Compared to the control group, participants who snuggled with the Hugvie experienced more calmness, less negative affect, and greater reductions in the stress hormone cortisol.

Speaking to an unknown experimental confederate is obviously not the same as having a conversation with your sweetheart—but the study does suggest that even an artificial hug can be better than none at all. You can read more about the Japanese study here.

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