Editing Hug (section)

==Characteristics==
[[File:2017-08-04-Paul Reimer-Beach Volleyball Medals-043 (36352501196).jpg|thumb|Two men hug after a volleyball match in Canada]]
A hug, sometimes in association with a [[kiss]], is a form of [[nonverbal communication]]. Depending on culture, context and [[interpersonal relationship|relationship]], a hug can indicate familiarity, [[love]], [[affection]], [[friendship]], [[gratitude]], [[Fraternity (philosophy)|fraternity]], [[flirting]], or [[sympathy]].<ref>{{Cite book |first=Kathleen |last=Keating |year=1994 |title=The Hug Therapy Book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uvz6ukUHVyQC |location=Minneapolis |publisher=Hazelden Publishing |isbn=978-1-56838-094-0 |oclc=881566896}}</ref> 

Hugs can indicate support, [[comfort]], and [[consolation]], particularly where words are insufficient. A hug usually demonstrates affection and emotional warmth, sometimes arising from joy or happiness when reunited with someone or seeing someone absent after a long time. A non-reciprocal hug may demonstrate a relational problem. 

A hug can range from a brief one-second squeeze, with the arms not fully around the other person, to an extended holding. The length of a hug in any situation is socially and culturally determined. In the case of lovers, and occasionally others, the [[hip]]s may also be pressed together. The emotionality of the hug can also influence the direction of the hug. 

The direction of hugs generally corresponds with [[handedness]], with right-handed people tending to lead with the right hand, but a heightened emotional state makes it slightly more likely for people to lead with the left hand. This small but significant effect has been attributed to right-hemispheric emotional processing.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/s00426-018-0985-8 |pmid=29349505 |title=Embracing your emotions: Affective state impacts lateralisation of human embraces |journal=Psychological Research |year=2018 |last1=Packheiser |first1=Julian |last2=Rook |first2=Noemi |last3=Dursun |first3=Zeynep |last4=Mesenhöller |first4=Janne |last5=Wenglorz |first5=Alrescha |last6=Güntürkün |first6=Onur |last7=Ocklenburg |first7=Sebastian |volume=83 |issue=1 |pages=26–36 |s2cid=12878780 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.007 |pmid=30339836 |title=Hugs and kisses – the role of motor preferences and emotional lateralization for hemispheric asymmetries in human social touch |journal=Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews |volume=95 |pages=353–360 |year=2018 |last1=Ocklenburg |first1=Sebastian |last2=Packheiser |first2=Julian |last3=Schmitz |first3=Judith |last4=Rook |first4=Noemi |last5=Güntürkün |first5=Onur |last6=Peterburs |first6=Jutta |last7=Grimshaw |first7=Gina M. |s2cid=53011017 }}</ref>