We know that hugs make us feel cosy inside. And this feeling could actually ward off stress and protect the immune (免疫) system, according to a new research from Carnegie Mellon University.

　　It’s a well-known fact that stress can weaken the immune system. In this study, the researchers sought to determine whether hugs could protect individuals from the increased sensitivity to illness brought on by the particular stress that comes with interpersonal conflict.

　　“We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety, ” the study’s lead author, psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen , said in a statement. “We have tested whether awareness of social support is equally effective in protecting us from sensitivity to infection caused by stress and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and thus protect a person against infection.”

　　In the experiment, over 400 healthy adults filled out a questionnaire about their perceived (感知到的) social support and also participated in a nightly phone interview for two weeks. They were asked about the frequency that they engaged in interpersonal conflict and received hugs that day.

　　Then, the researchers exposed the participants to a common cold virus, and monitored them to assess signs of infection. They found that both perceived social support and more frequent hugs reduced the risk of infection associated with experiencing interpersonal conflict. Regardless of whether or not they experienced social conflicts, infected participants with greater perceived social support and more frequent hugs had less severe illness symptoms.

【2017届高三英语百所名校好题速递分项解析汇编（第02期）：专题01 阅读理解（教师版）】相关文章：

★ 2017年高考英语二轮复习精品资料：专题14 阅读理解（押题专练）（原卷版）

★ 【三维设计】2017届高考英语（江苏专用）二轮复习阅读理解解题技法示范课件：2

★ 2017届高考英语二轮复习大题冲关秘籍阅读理解七选五：体验真题（含解析）

★ 重庆市2014高考英语阅读理解一轮（精品）训练题（15）附答案

★ 2013高考英语冲刺-专项篇 3阅读理解

★ 【三维设计】2017届高考英语（江苏专用）二轮复习阅读理解解题技法示范课件：1

★ 浙江省湖州市2014高考英语阅读理解一轮（暑假）精炼（15）含答案

★ 贵州省贵阳市2014高考英语（新人教版）一轮阅读训练（27）附答案

★ 山西省永济市涑北中学高三英语总复习：美文欣赏（2）（Fiancé）

★ 2017届高考英语二轮复习大题冲关秘籍语法填空：体验真题（含解析）