Hugs Can Be Dangerous Too? Study Reveals How Psychopaths Use Touch As Secret Weapon In Relationships

Relationship trend 2025: While hugs have been linked to warmth, comfort, and emotional intimacy, recent research discovered that not all hugs are motivated by affection. Binghamton University, State University of New York, researchers have found that those with psychopathic personality traits are more likely to employ physical touch, such as hugs, as a covert method of manipulation within romantic relationships.

What Professor Richard Mattson, the lead author of the study, says is that "Not all touch is well-intentioned. Some people can use touch in a strategic way to gain control over their partners." The research, which appears in Current Psychology, indicates that individuals with "dark triad" traits—psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism—are more likely to use touch as a tool to manipulate rather than build intimacy.

Manipulative Touch: A Hidden Tool in Relationships

The study included more than 500 college students in relationships, exploring how personality traits drive the use and reception of physical touch. Participants were questioned about feeling comfortable being touched, situations when they avoided touch for not feeling comfortable, and whether they employed touch in ways that could possibly serve themselves better than their partner.

The research found that people with dark triad tendencies would typically employ certain touches like gripping a romantic partner's arm, shoulder, or back of the head to exert psychological control. Such an act, Mattson says, can "enhance perceived ownership of the partner and induce compliance," essentially converting affection into a control device.

Gender Differences in Touch Manipulation

The results also pointed to differential gender patterns. Women high in dark triad traits were uncomfortable with touch themselves but were more manipulatively inclined to use touch. For men, their touch was associated with relationship insecurity; anxious men in their romantic relationships would engage in reassurance-seeking through touch, whereas men who were uncomfortable with closeness avoided touch altogether, irrespective of personality.

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Mattson highlights that even though touch is widely documented to have psychological and physiological positive effects—like stress reduction and oxytocin release—their benefits are nullified when employed for manipulation. "Touch can be an intense force for bonding, but when abused, it works in the person's favor at the partner's expense," he said.

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The research also provides insights for clinical interventions, noting the ways in which physical contact may be abused in unhealthy relationships. Knowledge of such behavior might contribute to the development of low-cost, frontline interventions for those who have difficulty with healthy physical intimacy.