RESEARCH_FILE
Naomi I. Eisenberger
University of California, Los Angeles
Known for:Neuroscience of social pain — showing that social rejection recruits brain regions overlapping those for physical pain
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“Everyone is having fun without me right now”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“The forecast hasn’t proven anything. I’m in this room, and this room is real.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Put your phone in another room, set a 3-minute kitchen or sink timer, and name five ordinary things you can see without checking any screen or app.
Key findings
- 2003
Using fMRI during a Cyberball exclusion, found that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex — linked to the distress of physical pain — was more active during exclusion, and its activation tracked how much social distress participants reported. Does Rejection Hurt? An fMRI Study of Social Exclusion ↗
- 2010
In a collaboration testing the social-pain overlap, acetaminophen — an ordinary physical painkiller — reduced daily self-reported hurt feelings and dampened neural responses to social rejection over three weeks, relative to placebo. Acetaminophen Reduces Social Pain: Behavioral and Neural Evidence ↗