This is a good summary. The benefit is entirely psychological, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I remember how mom used to kiss my boo-boos as a kid and I do the same for mine, just like I make them chicken soup and let them have a little ginger ale for stomachaches. It's as much for my own anxiety about them being sick as it is for their relief; some day I expect that they will remember the comfort they felt from these little rituals when it comes time for them to do the same, even if there's no biological basis as a "cure".