S2-4 Bosom Buddies

This week we dive into the science of friendship and stress. Prompted by a social media post claiming that women’s friendships help them handle stress better, Brenda investigates the origins of this claim—only to discover the cited “recent” study dates back to 2000 and isn’t even primary research.Together, the hosts unpack the “tend-and-befriend” theory, a biobehavioral hypothesis proposed by UCLA researchers that suggests women respond to stress through nurturing and social bonding. The paper, published in Psychological Review, synthesizes findings from psychology, neuroendocrinology, and evolutionary biology, but notably lacks empirical data. Brenda and Frances explore the implications of theoretical models in science, the importance of distinguishing between hypothesis and evidence, and how scientific ideas evolve through citation and critique—this one has over 5,600 citations!With their signature blend of humor and insight, the duo challenge listeners to think critically about what “recent” means in science and how social connections shape our health. Tune in for a smart, sassy look at friendship through the lens of science.As always if you have questions or suggestions please get in touch!Our email address: [email protected] us on all the socials!Instagram and Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialContent outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall. Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin KasyanovLinks:Biobehavioural Responses to stress in females: tend-and-befriend, not flight-or-flight, https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2000-08671-001.htmlAcute Stress Processing in Burnout, https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-658-49752-1.pdf Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB (2010) Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLoS Med 7(7): e1000316. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316 https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-03055-7 Presence of a Friend is Associated with Progesterone Response after Social Exclusion, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5496214 As always if you have questions or suggestions please get in touch! Email: [email protected] & Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialContent outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall. Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin Kasyanov Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.