What is it about?
In this study, we found that when older relationship partners shared positive emotions in daily life – like feeling happy or interested together – they had lower cortisol levels, which is a critical hormone in the human stress response. This effect wasn’t just because both people happened to be feeling good individually – we accounted for that! There was something uniquely powerful about sharing the moment. Even more exciting, these shared emotional experiences had lasting effects: cortisol stayed lower later in the day, showing one way shared positive emotions might “get under the skin,” acting as a social resource contributing to healthier aging and development
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Why is it important?
Most previous research has focused on positive emotions as if they happen in isolation, but in real life, our most meaningful positive emotions often happen with someone else. While important research has examined links between shared positive emotions and health outcomes in lab-based work, this study provides evidence for the importance of shared positive emotions for physiological responding in the day-to-day lives of older relationship partners (i.e., “in the wild”).
Perspectives
One of the most exciting parts of these findings is that the effects were not moderated by relationship satisfaction. That is, the benefits of shared positive emotions showed up regardless of how satisfied people were with their relationship. That means these calming, health-related effects aren't limited to only the happiest couples—they may be accessible to many of us, in many types of relationships. It also points to exciting possibilities for future research focused on whether shared moments of joy or connection with friends, colleagues, or even strangers carry similar benefits for our bodies.
Tomiko Yoneda
University of California Davis
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Better together: Coexperienced positive emotions and cortisol secretion in the daily lives of older couples., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, October 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000564.
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