Hugging, kissing and cuddling are all important parts of romantic relationships, but how much couples engage in these varies quite a bit. It’s easy to assume that people who love their partners also touch them more, but that’s not always the case and cultural factors make a difference, too. A new study investigates the relationship between touch and love in different countries and reveals where people hug and kiss their partners the most.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 75-hundred volunteers in 37 countries who were all in a relationship. Participants shared how often they embrace, stroke, kiss and hug their partners in the week prior and the scientists used that to determine the countries where people show the most and least affectionate touch to their partners.
The country where people are most affectionate towards their significant other is Austria, followed by Germany and Cuba. On the flip side, the least affectionate touch was shown by volunteers from China, The Netherlands and Ukraine. Scientists also conclude that across all of the 37 countries in the study, people who love their partners also showed more types of affectionate touch towards them.
Source: Psychology Today
Scott's Thoughts:
- Maybe the volunteers from China were just mad at their partners the week before, so they didn’t feel like being affectionate.
- Isn't it fair to say that affection decreases as we age and have been together a long time? That doesn't mean you love them less, there is just a comfort level there.
- Have you noticed any differences in affectionate behavior when visiting or living in another country?