A hug today may shape your child's tomorrow: Study reveals lifelong effect of parental affection on personality

Childhood is a pivotal part of anyone's life, one that shapes how children grow up. It's even the foundation of their future personality. A new study published in the American Psychologist journal shared a fresh perspective on the nature vs nurture debate. When children receive more hugs, affection from their mothers between the ages of 5 and 10, they are more likely to be kind-hearted, open and responsible. To understand how far this holds true, the researchers tested this on identical twins as well, who share 100% of each other's DNA.

Childhood love matters

The researchers experimented on 2,200 identical twins in the UK. Identical twins not only share the same DNA, but also grow up in the same environment. The only difference was how much affection they received from their mother.

The results found that the twin who received more love and frequent expressions of affection through hugs grew up to become more compassionate, caring, organised, and reliable. These reflect major personality traits like openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Furthermore, much like a chain effect, when someone is high in these traits, they are likely to get better jobs and have stronger relationships. These traits are connected to real-life success, so the simple acts of hugs may essentially shape the kid's life more than you realise.

However, traits like extraversion, which refers to how social someone is, or neuroticism, which shows how anxious or emotionally stable someone is, didn’t show much change. This suggests that these aspects of personality may be more influenced by genetics than by parenting.

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Why is this study important

It shows that parenting does leave a lasting impact, going beyond genetics. Love from parents is indeed a vital aspect that shapes our personality. The differences are seen in identical twins as well, which makes the findings even more substantial, indicating that even small differences in parenting, like how often a child is hugged, can shape who they become in the long run.

A hug may be simple, but it can play an instrumental role in shaping a child’s life path, starting with their personality, which later influences real-life success.

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Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.