The fundamentals of this are:
more surface area = more grip (excluding the shear force resistance of the ground you're on) .
More surface area is achieved by carcass size and tread pattern. You can accentuate the surface area (and thus its grip and rolling resistance) by running lower pressures but…
Lower pressures increases vulnerability to pinch punctures which is affected by the impact force put into the tyre during riding.
Force is mostly dictated by riding speed and weight.
I really depends what you're trying to achieve. If you're troubled by pinch flats, but grip is fine, up the pressure in your existing tyres or get a higher volume/taller tyre.
For me, at 14st, wide and soft is preferred. I run Maxxis 2.25's at the moment at 28psi.