Why Rejection Hurts: What Social Neuroscience Has Revealed About the Brain’s Response to Social Rejection

This chapter reviews evidence from behavioral, pharmacological, and social neuroscience research that supports the notion that physical and social pain rely on shared neural substrates. It then reviews some of the unexpected and potentially surprising consequences that arise from such a physical-social-pain overlap. Specifically, it considers evidence showing that, even though experiences of physical and social pain seem very different from one another on the surface, individuals who are more sensitive to one kind of pain are also more sensitive to the other. It also reviews evidence...

This chapter reviews evidence from behavioral, pharmacological, and social neuroscience research that supports the notion that physical and social pain rely on shared neural substrates. It then reviews some of the unexpected and potentially surprising consequences that arise from such a physical-social-pain overlap. Specifically, it considers evidence showing that, even though experiences of physical and social pain seem very different from one another on the surface, individuals who are more sensitive to one kind of pain are also more sensitive to the other. It also reviews evidence demonstrating that factors that alter one kind of pain experience alter the other in a congruent manner. Finally, the chapter concludes by discussing what this shared neural circuitry means for our experience and understanding of social pain.