The pain of social exclusion: Physical pain brain circuits activated by 'social pain'

Friday, February 28, 2014 - 07:02 in Psychology & Sociology

“Social” pain hurts physically, even when we see it in others. The distress caused by social stimuli (e.g., losing a friend, experiencing an injustice or more in general when a social bond is threatened) activates brain circuits related to physical pain: as observed in a new study. This also applies when we experience this type of pain vicariously as an empathic response (when we see somebody else experiencing it).

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