Western Love Lab

Goldstein recruited 22 long-term heteros*xual couples, age 23 to 32, and put them through a series of tests aimed at mimicking that delivery-room scenario.

Men were assigned the role of observer; women the pain target. As instruments measured their heart and breathing rates, they: sat together, not touching; sat together holding hands; or sat in separate rooms. Then they repeated all three scenarios as the woman was subjected to a mild heat pain on her forearm for 2 minutes.

As in previous trials, the study showed couples synced physiologically to some degree just sitting together. But when she was subjected to pain and he couldn’t touch her, that synchronization was severed. When he was allowed to hold her hand, their rates fell into sync again and her pain decreased.

When Lovers Touch, Their Breathing and Heartbeat Syncs While Pain Wanes Study explores how interpersonal synchronization could help to decrease pain.

Check out this CBC interview discussing polyamory with Love Lab alumni Rhonda Nicole Balzarini:

Polyamory-loving more than one at the same time- with permission It’s technically called “consensual non-monogamy”, or “ethical non-monomagmy” or “polyamory, meaning carrying on two or more relationships at the same time, and with the consent of all involved. Most would consider this a marginal lifestyle, but research shows roughly four to five per ce...