Here's a scientific study that's near and dear to my heart. The Journal of Experimental Psychology published a study "Social support and the perception of graphical slant" which confirms something all backpackers and hikers have known intuitively: climbing any hill seems easier with old friends.
From the New York Times article "What Are Friends For?":
"Last year, researchers studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking them to the base of a steep hill and fitting them with a weighted backpack. They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants stood next to friends during the exercise, while others were alone. The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared."
Perhaps this is why we seem more likely to get ourselves into trouble when friends are around!
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