A study published in Emotion and conducted by researchers at Queen's University found that close relationships can decrease stress during difficult situations due to partners sharing emotional burdens, according to Science Daily. The study examined 66 adolescent girls during a spontaneous speech task and looked for a connection between their stress levels and the presence of a close family member. The results showed that physical closeness allowed the participants to manage their stress better, according to the Queen's Gazette.
"We wanted to test a new evolutionary theory in psychology called Social Baseline Theory, which, as psychologists Lane Beckes and James Coan found, suggests that humans adapted to be close to other humans," said Jessica Lougheed, coauthor of the study.
"The idea is that individuals function at a relative deficit when they are farther away from people they trust. This is a provocative idea in psychological science because it is often assumed that people can demonstrate optimal functioning whether or not they are near trusted relationship partners."
Those that reported the highest level of mother-daughter relationship closeness experienced the biggest stress decrease during the experiment, whereas those that reported the lowest level of mother-daughter relationship closeness were the least effective at managing their stress.
The results also showed that the mothers' stress levels did not fluctuate, despite having to observe their child in a stressful situation, according to the Indian Express.
"We were somewhat surprised to find that mothers' stress did not vary by physical closeness," said Lougheed. "After all, it can be stressful for parents to watch their children perform, but being able to offer physical comfort might have lessened the mothers' stress."
