It used to be pretty common in ye olde dates for studio photographers to use 85 or even 105mm lenses to get flatter fields and a little distance from the subject.
We aren't talking about studio or generally professional photography are we... But yes, the longer the lens the more emotional distance. A wide lens puts the viewer right in the middle of the action.
I’ve never heard someone talk about “emotional distance” as being related to focal length and to be honest it doesn’t have the ring of truth.
Longer focal lengths don’t even create physical distance. What happens is that people sometimes choose to step farther away when using a longer focal length, but you don’t have to do that.
Common hobbyist wisdom is that you use a longer lens to make the subject feel closer without coming closer. This is subtly wrong. In the eye of the viewer the distance eliminated through focal length is felt in a different way. If you want a photo that takes you back to being close to someone, come close and use a wider lens.
