Science of Friendships

Out of practice in the pal-production department? Whether you want to master maintaining already-tight bonds or forge brand-new ones that'll bolster your well-being for years to come, you can put these researchbacked strategies into play today.

- LINDSAY GELLER, NAYDELINE MEJIA, AND LYDIA WANG

The Golden Girls were onto something when they said (well, sang), "Thank you for being a friend." Romantic relationships and family ties garner much of the attention, but friendship is the unsung hero of a fulfilling life. In fact, as you age, friendships become a stronger predictor of your health and happiness than family relationships, according to research by Michigan State University associate professor and social/ personality psychologist William Chopik, PhD. Friendships influence your well-being so much, another of Chopik's studies found, that when friends are a source of strain, people report more chronic illnesses. But when a squad is supportive? Folks tend to be happier. One (remarkably simple) reason: "Friendships are relationships of choice," says Chopik. "You have a friend because you want to spend time with them...whereas with family, you may have less flexibility." Not only do you decide who you spend your precious free time with, but you also choose how you spend it, which is usually on a leisure activity. Unlike divvying up household chores or suffering through small talk at a family obligation, catching up with your college buds over a laugh-filled meal "reduces stress," says Chopik.