India, March 11 -- Researchers have found that when a partner experiences positive emotions, it may help reduce cortisol levels, the body's primary stress hormone, regardless of an individual's own emotional state.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers analyzed data from 321 long-term couples in Canada and Germany, with an average relationship duration of nearly 44 years.
Participants, aged between 56 and 87, completed multiple daily surveys over a week, documenting their emotions while also providing saliva samples for cortisol measurements. Each partner filled out the surveys separately to prevent influencing each other's responses.
According to lead study author Tomiko Yoneda, an assistant professor of psychology at the University...