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Researchers asked people to remember emotionally painful experiences while either holding their romantic partner's hand or squeezing a ball.
Holding a partner's hand didn't simply erase the emotional pain during the memory.
But participants experienced greater comfort while recalling it.
More interestingly, when those memories were recalled again later, memories previously accompanied by partner handholding were experienced as less emotionally painful.
Supportive touch may therefore influence how an upsetting experience is subsequently remembered.
Sometimes holding someone's hand does something that words don't.
© PLOS ONE
