The push of social pain: Does rejection’s sting motivate subsequent social reconnection?

Abstract

Physical pain motivates the healing of somatic injuries, yet it remains unknown whether social pain serves a similarly reparative function toward social injuries. Given the substantial overlap between physical and social pain, we predicted that social pain would mediate the effect of rejection on greater motivation for social reconnection and affiliative behavior toward rejecters. In Study 1, the effect of rejection on an increased need to belong was mediated by reports of more intense social pain. In Study 2, three neural signatures of social pain (i.e., activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, left and right anterior insula during social rejection), each predicted greater behavioral proximity to rejecters. Our findings reify the overlap between social and physical pain. Furthermore, these results are some of the first to demonstrate the reparative nature of social pain and lend insight into how this process may be harnessed to promote postrejection reconnection.

The soothing function of touch: affective touch reduces feelings of social exclusion

“…Instead, our finding suggests that a unique type of embodied, tactile interaction between individuals is capable of modulating the subjective effects of social exclusion. These findings are consistent with research pointing to the role of touch in the formation of social bonds 26 , 27 , 50 , as well as the findings that social exclusion can motivate interpersonal reconnection 9 , 10 , including touch 33 . Our findings therefore extend prior research indicating that touch leads to seeking interpersonal connection and pro-social behaviour following social exclusion 33 , and suggest that particularly this type of dynamic slow touch, which is associated with neurophysiological specificity and conveys social support 38 , 25 , 43 , buffers ostracism-related effects.…”

“…In this sense, ostracism may activate a threat detection system that is experienced as a ‘social pain’ to promote re-connection and social proximity and bonding 4 , 5 . Indeed, research suggests that social exclusion motivates individuals to seek interpersonal reconnection 9 , 10 .…”

When less is more: mindfulness predicts adaptive affective responding to rejection via reduced prefrontal recruitment

“…VLPFC activation during social rejection was inversely associated with trait mindfulness and this lower VLPFC activation mediated the link between mindfulness and social distress. These results indicate that mindful individuals’ reduced prefrontal recruitment may be effective in regulating social distress, which is consistent with the idea that while greater recruitment of the VLPFC to regulate negative experiences can be adaptive, this is not always the case ( Chester et al , 2016 ). Our findings fit this excessive inhibition framework that suggests over recruitment of prefrontal brain regions may not always be adaptive.…”

Neural responses to social exclusion in adolescents: Effects of peer status

“…suppresses pro-social behavior (Gunther Moor et al, 2012;Twenge, Baumeister, DeWall, Ciarocco, & Bartels, 2007;Twenge, Baumeister, Tice, & Stucke, 2001), potentially by reducing the ability to regulate one's emotions . Importantly, an increased dACC response to social exclusion is associated with increased affiliative behaviors towards the excluders (Chester, DeWall, & Pond, 2016), and decreased aggression in individuals who show high executive functioning . In order to remain well liked by their peers, accepted adolescents' ability to regulate their emotions and behavior following exclusion may therefore be of key importance.…”