Because of the personal nature of positive associations, psychological comfort is highly subjective.
Where the term is used to describe the support given to someone who has experienced a tragedy, the word is synonymous with consolation or solace.
Something that provides this type of comfort, which does not seek to relieve hardship, can also be referred to as being "comfy".
One of the most famous developmental psychological studies is Harry Harlow's development experiment with monkeys.
For example, chocolate is held as a popular comfort food as it is followed by the pleasurable sweetness and the positive association with gifts/rewards.
If a child was exposed to many snacks growing up, they may focus on more snack-related comfort foods later on in life.
Clothing provides aesthetic, tactile, thermal, moisture, and pressure comfort.
"[33] This type of comfort can be achieved when an individual has a sufficient amount of light to perform an activity or task.
Acoustic comfort is a state of being where noise levels are not harming or interfering with the activities of individuals in some area.
Respiratory comfort is achieved in an environment where the air breathed is of sufficiently high quality.
In outdoor spaces respiratory comfort can be associated with the air quality index.