Social pain is the experience of pain as a result of interpersonal rejection or loss, such as rejection from a social group, bullying, or the loss of a loved one. Research now shows that social pain results from the activation of certain components in physical pain systems. Although social, clinical, health, and developmental psychologists have each explored aspects of social pain, recent work from the neurosciences provides a coherent, unifying framework for integrative research. This edited volume provides the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary exploration of social pain. -Part I examines the subject from a neuroscience perspective, outlining the evolutionary basis of social pain and tracing the genetic, neurological, and physiological underpinnings of the phenomenon. -Part II explores the implications of social pain for functioning in interpersonal relationships; contributions examine the influence of painkillers on social emotions, the ability to relive past social hurts, and the relation of social pain to experiences of intimacy. -Part III examines social pain from a biopsychosocial perspective in its consideration of the health implications of social pain, outlining the role of stress in social pain and the potential long-term health consequences of bullying. The book concludes with an integrative review of these diverse perspectives.
Contributors Introduction: Experiencing the Ache of Social Injuries-An Integrative Approach to Understanding Social Pain -Lauri A. Jensen-Campbell and Geoff MacDonald I. Neurological and Physiological Bases of Social Pain The Neurobiology of Social Loss in Animals: Some Keys to the Puzzle of Psychic Pain in Humans -Jaak PankseppThe Neural Basis of Social Pain: Findings and Implications -Naomi I. EisenbergerPhysiological Responses to Experiences of Social Pain -Sally S. DickersonGenetic Factors in Social Pain -Baldwin M. Way and Shelley E. Taylor II. Social Pain in Interpersonal Relationships Acetaminophen Dulls Psychological Pain -C. Nathan DeWall, Richard S. Pond Jr., and Timothy DeckmanDefensive Avoidance of Social Pain via Perceptions of Social Threat and Reward -Geoff MacDonald, Terry K. Borsook, and Stephanie S. SpielmannSocial Pain Is Easily Relived and Prelived, but Physical Pain Is Not -Zhansheng Chen and Kipling D. Williams III. Health Consequences of Social Pain The Biopsychosocial Perspective of Pain and Emotion -Robert J. Gatchel and Nancy D. KishinoSocial Stressors, Social Pain, and Health -Andrew Baum, Carroll Michelle Lee, and Angela Liegey DougallBullying and Its Long-Term Health Implications -Jennifer M. Knack, Haylie L. Gomez, and Lauri A. Jensen-Campbell Conclusion: Social Pain Research-Accomplishments and Challenges -Geoff MacDonald and Lauri A. Jensen-Campbell Index About the Editors
