“Two hearts beat as one”— is it a cheesy metaphor or a scientifically valid observation? A study suggests there might be some truth to this lyric.
Coming out of UC Davis, the study found romantic couples’ hearts beat in sync. When individuals were matched with partners they weren’t romantically involved with, this syncing did not occur.
“Researchers found couples synced up their
heart rates and their breathing patterns.”
After hooking up 32 heterosexual couples to monitors measuring heart rates and respiration, couples were asked to sit a few feet away from each other without talking or touching.
Researchers soon found couples synced up their heart rates and their breathing patterns and women were more likely to adjust to their male partners.
“We’ve seen a lot of research that one person in a relationship can experience what the other person is experiencing emotionally, but this study shows they also share experiences at a physiological level,” said Emilio Ferrer, a UC Davis psychology professor. “I think it means women have a strong link to their partners – perhaps more empathy.”
Source: ScienceBlog.com.
