Ask most people about the things that are important to them,

about what really matters in their life and what makes them happy.

And you'll hear a common refrain, my spouse or partner, my children, my family, my closest friends.

Close relationships are essential to our happiness and well-being,

and decades of research have shown that they're

also important predictors of physical health.

Why is that?

What kind of support do we receive from our partners and other close relationships, and

why does that support matter so much?

What are the biological mechanisms that tie together social relationships and health. What are the ingredients of a

good and supportive relationship and how do we develop these deep ties to each other? Also, how has the

COVID-19 pandemic affected our close relationships? Are people coming out of the past year and a half

feeling a stronger connection to their loved ones, or have those ties frayed?

And what, if any, lasting effects might we see?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm Kim Mills.

Our guest today is Dr. Richard Slatcher, a professor of psychology and head of the Close Relationships Laboratory at the University of Georgia.

He studies how our intimate relationships get under our skin to affect our health and well-being,

how people come to feel close to each other, and how technology, like smartphones and social

media, may be affecting our closest relationships.

For the past year, he's also been running a study called Love in the Time of COVID,

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