Hmm, I’m a little confused. If I cook a meal for someone, it doesn’t seem to mean much. But if no one is cooking for someone, it is a serious problem and we need to help. Of course, I’m not sure if we’re suffering from that kind of “skinship hunger.”
I’d also re-focus on effective at what? What is the goal or objective of these free hugs? Once you know that, then you can more easily estimate how effective free hugs are compared to other interventions.
Using the analogy of hunger, here is one way that I am currently thinking about it: giving a willing stranger a hug is like giving a willing stranger a candy bar; they get some nourishment, but if they are chronically food insecure this won’t solve that longer-term problem. It won’t help them get regular/consistent access to meals that they can afford. So in that sense it is like a band-aid: it is treating the symptom, but it is not addressing the cause.
If someone is suffering from a consistent and pervasive lack of human touch, such as “skinship hunger,” a hug might feel nice for a few seconds, but when the hug is finished that person’s situation (lacking human touch) remains unchanged. I suppose you could create some kind of program in which they spend 60 minutes with a professional cuddler every week, but I honestly don’t see that as being cost competitive if the goal is to get QALYs at the best price.
But if you just want to estimate it then you could put together a simple Fermi estimate: what are the costs to giving free hugs, and what are the benefits, and then figure out how much value do you please on each of those.
It is like a seed. Basic trust and support are provided. It is doubtful whether long-term, indefinite provision is necessary. Wouldn’t it be similar to UBI? I don’t know because there is no research. I believe you are begging the question. I can’t agree or disagree with the claim that it will soon return to its initial state without any long-term effects. As for the estimate… I’m not sure. I can’t think of a good measure or anything yet. I might need a psychologist to help me. Perhaps an estimate for mental health or well-being, but I doubt QALYs or DALYs. But as an initial estimate, it seems like a good measure. Alternatively, it could be expressed as pain relief or social support. I confess I had no intention of doing any serious research, as I was simply asking for an idea. It’s more of a question of whether it’s worth it.
Hmm, I’m a little confused. If I cook a meal for someone, it doesn’t seem to mean much. But if no one is cooking for someone, it is a serious problem and we need to help. Of course, I’m not sure if we’re suffering from that kind of “skinship hunger.”
I’d also re-focus on effective at what? What is the goal or objective of these free hugs? Once you know that, then you can more easily estimate how effective free hugs are compared to other interventions.
Using the analogy of hunger, here is one way that I am currently thinking about it: giving a willing stranger a hug is like giving a willing stranger a candy bar; they get some nourishment, but if they are chronically food insecure this won’t solve that longer-term problem. It won’t help them get regular/consistent access to meals that they can afford. So in that sense it is like a band-aid: it is treating the symptom, but it is not addressing the cause.
If someone is suffering from a consistent and pervasive lack of human touch, such as “skinship hunger,” a hug might feel nice for a few seconds, but when the hug is finished that person’s situation (lacking human touch) remains unchanged. I suppose you could create some kind of program in which they spend 60 minutes with a professional cuddler every week, but I honestly don’t see that as being cost competitive if the goal is to get QALYs at the best price.
But if you just want to estimate it then you could put together a simple Fermi estimate: what are the costs to giving free hugs, and what are the benefits, and then figure out how much value do you please on each of those.
It is like a seed. Basic trust and support are provided. It is doubtful whether long-term, indefinite provision is necessary. Wouldn’t it be similar to UBI? I don’t know because there is no research. I believe you are begging the question. I can’t agree or disagree with the claim that it will soon return to its initial state without any long-term effects. As for the estimate… I’m not sure. I can’t think of a good measure or anything yet. I might need a psychologist to help me. Perhaps an estimate for mental health or well-being, but I doubt QALYs or DALYs. But as an initial estimate, it seems like a good measure. Alternatively, it could be expressed as pain relief or social support. I confess I had no intention of doing any serious research, as I was simply asking for an idea. It’s more of a question of whether it’s worth it.