Invitation to Psychology

ChapTER 13 Emotion, Stress, and Health 473

there is no injury or disease for them to fight. In

turn, chronic inflammation is linked to a variety of

illnesses, from cardiovascular problems to herpes

(Jaremka et al., 2013).

When social support comes from a loving

partner, its benefits are especially dramatic. In a

study of 16 couples, the wives had to lie in an MRI

machine, periodically receiving a mild but stress­

ful electric shock on the ankle (Coan, Schaefer,

& Davidson, 2006). During the procedure, some

women received a touch on the hand from a

stranger; others held hands with their husbands.

The women’s brain images showed activation in

the hypothalamus and other regions involved with

pain, physical arousal, and negative emotions. Yet,

as you can see in Figure 13.7, the moment the

women felt a husband’s reassuring hand, their

brain activation subsided in all the regions that

had been revved up to cope with threat and fear.

Holding hands with a stranger was comforting,

but did not produce as great a decrease in brain

activation as did a husband’s touch.

When a touch is affectionate and welcome,

it can actually elevate some “therapeutic” hor­

mones, especially oxytocin, the hormone that induces

relaxation and is associated with mothering and

attachment. In fact, human bodies may be designed

not only for a fight­or­flight response to stress

and challenge, but also a “tend and befriend”

excessively self­reliant or who have high attach­
ment anxiety—avoiding relationships altogether
or being constantly worried about the ones they
are in—have a greater risk of stroke, heart attacks,
and ulcers (Jaremka et al., 2013). Why?

When Friends Help You Cope. Think of all
the ways in which family members, friends, neigh­
bors, and co­workers can help you. They can offer
concern and affection. They can help you evaluate
problems and plan a course of action. They can
offer resources and services such as lending you
money or a car, or taking notes in class for you
when you are sick. They are sources of attachment
and connection. And groups often provide their
members with a sense of meaning, purpose, and
belonging (Haslam et al., 2009; Uchino, 2009).
Friends can even improve your health. Work­
related stress and unemployment may increase a
person’s vulnerability to the common cold, but
having a lot of friends and social contacts reduces
that risk (Cohen et al., 2003). Social support is
especially important for people who have stressful
jobs that require high cardiovascular responsive­
ness day after day, such as firefighters. Having
social support helps the heart rate and stress
hormones return to normal more quickly after a
stressful episode (Roy, Steptoe, & Kirschbaum,
1998). In contrast, loneliness and lack of support,
especially during times of stress, are associated
with chronic inflammation, the release by the
immune system of white blood cells even when

Friends can be our greatest source of warmth, support,
and fun...

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% Activity change under str

ess

Alone Stranger Husband Super

couples

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FIgURE 13.7 Hugs and Health

Women had to lie in an MRI machine while receiving

mild but stressful shocks on their ankle. Those who went

through the test alone showed the highest activation of

the hypothalamus and other regions of the brain involved

in stress and anxiety. A stranger’s calming touch reduced

activation somewhat and a husband’s touch reduced it

even more. The women in “super couples,” who felt the

closest to their husbands (right bar), showed the lowest

signs of stress (Coan, Schaefer, & Davidson, 2006).