Cited by 486Death Anxiety and Social ExclusionPain Mechanisms and TreatmentsNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

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Acetaminophen Reduces Social Pain: Behavioral and Neural Evidence

DeWall, C. Nathan, MacDonald, Geoff, Webster, Gregory D., Masten, Carrie L., Baumeister, Roy F., Powell, Caitlin, Combs, David, Schurtz, David R., Stillman, Tyler F., Tice, Dianne M., Eisenberger, Naomi I.·2010·Psychological Science

DOI 10.1177/0956797610374741

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Abstract

Pain, whether caused by physical injury or social rejection, is an inevitable part of life. These two types of pain-physical and social-may rely on some of the same behavioral and neural mechanisms that register pain-related affect. To the extent that these pain processes overlap, acetaminophen, a physical pain suppressant that acts through central (rather than peripheral) neural mechanisms, may also reduce behavioral and neural responses to social rejection. In two experiments, participants took acetaminophen or placebo daily for 3 weeks. Doses of acetaminophen reduced reports of social pain on a daily basis (Experiment 1). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure participants' brain activity (Experiment 2), and found that acetaminophen reduced neural responses to social rejection in brain regions previously associated with distress caused by social pain and the affective component of physical pain (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula). Thus, acetaminophen reduces behavioral and neural responses associated with the pain of social rejection, demonstrating substantial overlap between social and physical pain.

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Anxiety sensitivity moderates the painful effects of feeling burdensome to others
LeRoy, A. S., Lü, Q., Zvolensky, M. J., Ramirez, J., & Fagundes, C. P. (2017) · Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · doi:10.1080/16506073.2017.1357749 · Cited by 13
“…in response to a loss or potential loss of a social connection, may also be experienced because of PB. Extant data support a relation between how social and physical pain are experienced (e.g. Chen, Williams, Fitness, & Newton, 2008; DeWall et al., 2010; Eisenberger, Lieberman, & Williams, 2003).”
Background
Present Status and Future Prospects of the Interpersonal–Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior
Hagan, C. R., Ribeiro, J. D., & Joiner, T. E. (2016) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118903223.ch12 · Cited by 13
The Social Pain Posit
Corns, J. (2014) · Australasian Journal of Philosophy · doi:10.1080/00048402.2014.984614 · Cited by 12
In Defense of Brain Mapping in Social and Affective Neuroscience
Cunningham, W. A. (2010) · Social Cognition · doi:10.1521/soco.2010.28.6.717 · Cited by 10
“In subsequent years, this inference has been validated in genetic studies and following drug administrations (Way, Taylor, & Eisenberger, 2009; DeWall et al., 2010). this line of research indicates is that we need to develop a computational model of brain function before we can make strong…”
Neuropsychopharmacological aesthetics: A theoretical consideration of pharmacological approaches to causative brain study in aesthetics and art
Spee, B. T. M., Ishizu, T., Leder, H., Mikuni, J., Kawabata, H., & Pelowski, M. J. (2018) · Progress in brain research · doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.03.021 · Cited by 22
The Neuroevolution of Empathy and Caring for Others: Why It Matters for Morality
Decety, J. (2013) · Research and perspectives in neurosciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-02904-7_8 · Cited by 25
An Attachment Theory Approach to Reframing Romantic Relationship Breakups in University Students: A Narrative Review of Attachment, Neural Circuitry, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms
van der Watt, A. S. J., Roos, A., du Plessis, S. S., Bui, É., Lesch, E., & Seedat, S. (2021) · Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/15332691.2021.1908197 · Cited by 16
“…regions, such as the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex, have also been linked to both romantic rejection (Fisher et al., 2010; Gillath et al., 2005; Najib et al., 2004; Yttredahl et al., 2018) and PTSD (Buchheim et al., 2006; DeWall et al., 2010; Eisenberger et al., 2007; Garrett, 2015).”
Background
Cerebral responses to self-initiated action during social interactions
Wang, W., Zhornitsky, S., Li, C. S.-P., Zhang, S., Ide, J. S., Joormann, J., & Li, C. R. (2019) · Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/s13415-019-00711-5 · Cited by 12
Firm Responses to Mass Outrage: Technology, Blame, and Employment
Bhargava, V. R. (2018) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-018-4043-7 · Cited by 11
Can Burdensome Facebook “Friends” Cause You Pain? Self-Reported Pain as a Motivation for Exclusion
Okdie, B. M., & Wirth, J. H. (2018) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1093/jcmc/zmy017 · Cited by 14
“For example, a common physical pain reliever (acetaminophen) reduced hurt feelings and activation in areas of the brain, such as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, related to pain following being socially excluded (DeWall et al., 2010).”
Background
The moderating role of attachment insecurities in the association between social and physical pain
Frías, M. T., & Shaver, P. R. (2014) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.10.003 · Cited by 14
Pain of Threatened Self: Explicit and Implicit Self-Esteem, Cortisol Responses to a Social Threat and Pain Perception
Wojtyna, E., Hyla, M., & Hachuła, A. (2024) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm13092705 · Cited by 12
Is your pain my pain? A study exploring the relation between pain sensitivity, pain thresholds and empathy for somatic and psychological pain
Flasbeck, V., Matthiessen, A., Alabowitz, A., Rusu, A. C., & Brüne, M. (2023) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjc.12436 · Cited by 11
Searching for answers in an uncertain world: Meaning threats lead to increased working memory capacity
Randles, D., Benjamin, R., Martens, J. P., & Heine, S. J. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204640 · Cited by 17
Evolutionary Mismatch, Emotional Homeostasis, and “Emotional Addiction”: A Unifying Model of Psychological Dysfunction
Montgomery, J. M. (2018) · Evolutionary Psychological Science · doi:10.1007/s40806-018-0153-9 · Cited by 16
Pain, Heat, and Emotion with Functional MRI
Jaillard, A. S., & Ropper, A. H. (2013) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejme1213074 · Cited by 13
The neuroscience of talent management
Vorhauser‐Smith, S. (2011) · Employment Relations Today · doi:10.1002/ert.20327 · Cited by 10
The Dangers of Acetaminophen for Neurodevelopment Outweigh Scant Evidence for Long-Term Benefits
Parker, W., Anderson, L. G., Jones, J. P., Anderson, R., Williamson, L. L., Bono‐Lunn, D., & Konsoula, Z. (2023) · Children · doi:10.3390/children11010044 · Cited by 15
“Further, a consistent hallmark of ASD is impairment in social awareness, and studies in adult humans indicate that acetaminophen speciﬁcally affects social awareness [53,54,67].”
Background
Empathy enhancing antidotes for interpersonally toxic leaders.
Nowack, K., & Zak, P. (2020) · Consulting Psychology Journal Practice and Research · doi:10.1037/cpb0000164 · Cited by 9
The effects of age on cerebral responses to self-initiated actions during social interactions: An exploratory study
Wang, W., Zhornitsky, S., Chao, H. H., Levy, I., Joormann, J., & Li, C. R. (2019) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112301 · Cited by 9
“Imaging studies showed that social exclusion as compared to inclusion engaged the insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and other prefrontal cortical regions [6, 10-15]; see [16] for a review), cortical circuits that have been implicated in processing negative emotions and salient events.”
Background
How the Brain Feels the Hurt of Heartbreak: Examining the Neurobiological Overlap Between Social and Physical Pain
Tchalova, K., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-397025-1.00144-5 · Cited by 10
“Expanding on this research, a recent study (DeWall et al., 2010) tested the effect of Tylenol – a popular painkiller – on social pain in humans.”
Self-citation
Psychological Pain: Metaphor or Reality?
Biró, D. (2014) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/9781137372437_4 · Cited by 9
Associations between over-the-counter analgesics usage and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents: a network analysis
Roalsø, E. S., Klonteig, S., Kraft, B., Skarstein, S. O., Aalberg, M., & Jonassen, R. (2024) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-024-05802-3 · Cited by 10
Social pain sharing boosts interpersonal brain synchronization in female cooperation
Jiao, Z., Song, J., Yang, X., Chen, Y., & Han, G. (2024) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104138 · Cited by 8
Accelerated brain aging mediates the association between psychological profiles and clinical pain in knee osteoarthritis
Valdes-Hernandez, P., Johnson, A. J., Montesino-Goicolea, S., Nodarse, C. L., Bashyam, V. M., Davatzikos, C., Fillingim, R., & Cruz-Almeida, Y. (2023) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2023.11.006 · Cited by 8
Social disconnectedness moderates nostalgia preference
Chark, R. (2022) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103342 · Cited by 8
Beyond good and bad: Reflexive imperativism, not evaluativism, explains valence
Barlassina, L. (2020) · Thought: A Journal of Philosophy · doi:10.1002/tht3.471 · Cited by 8
“For example, acetaminophen—the active principle in paracetamol—blunts the unpleasantness of both physical and emotional pain (Dewall et al., 2010).”
Background
The Influence of Acetaminophen on Task Related Attention
Jaswal, S. M., Samayoa, J. A. G., Kam, J. W. Y., Randles, D., Heine, S. J., & Handy, T. C. (2019) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00444 · Cited by 10
The effect of acute physical pain on subsequent negative emotional affect: A meta-analysis.
Bresin, K., Kling, L. R., & Verona, E. (2017) · Personality Disorders Theory Research and Treatment · doi:10.1037/per0000248 · Cited by 9
“In addition, this effect may be partially explained by the fact that similar biological systems regulate pain and affect (Bresin & Gordon, 2013b; DeWall et al., 2010).”
Background
Biological research on mental pain, social pain and other pains not primarily felt in the body: methodological systematic review
Duranté, E. K., Ribeiro, A., Gaspard-Boulinc, L., Boutron, I., Henry, C., Petit, A., Houenou, J., Lemogne, C., & Chevance, A. (2025) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.2024.292 · Cited by 6
“For instance, DeWall et al 32 included two different studies, only one of which met our eligibility criteria.”
Evaluating the Role of Susceptibility Inducing Cofactors and of Acetaminophen in the Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Jones, J. P., Williamson, L. L., Konsoula, Z., Anderson, R., Reissner, K. J., & Parker, W. (2024) · Life · doi:10.3390/life14080918 · Cited by 11
F@#$ pain! A mini-review of the hypoalgesic effects of swearing
Hay, C., Sills, J. L., Shoemake, J. M., Ballmann, C., Stephens, R., & Washmuth, N. B. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416041 · Cited by 7
“While novel, these findings are not surprising since previous evidence has suggested that social pain is attenuated by other common analgesics such as marijuana (Deckman et al., 2014) and acetaminophen (DeWall et al., 2010).”
I understand your pain but I do not feel it: lower affective empathy in response to others’ social pain in narcissism
Shahri, F., Zabihzadeh, A., Taqipanahi, A., Haromi, M. E., Rasouli, M., Nik, A. S., & Eddy, C. M. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1350133 · Cited by 7
Does losing money truly hurt? The shared neural bases of monetary loss and pain
Tan, H., Duan, Q., Liu, Y., Qiao, X., & Luo, S. (2022) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.25840 · Cited by 8
The Nexus of Physical and Psychological Pain: Consequences for Mortality and Implications for Medical Sociology
Peele, M. E., & Schnittker, J. (2021) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/00221465211064533 · Cited by 7
“Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for instance, are effective in treating both depression and pain (DeWall et al. 2010).”
Background
Paracetamol alters empathy scores in healthy and headache subjects: Functional MRI correlates
Çankaya, Ş., Öktem, E. Ö., Saatçi, Ö., Velioğlu, H. A., Uygur, A. B., Özşimşek, A., Hanoğlu, L., & Yuluğ, B. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2020.04.053 · Cited by 7
Acetaminophen enhances the reflective learning process
Pearson, R., Koslov, S., Hamilton, B., Shumake, J., Carver, C., & Beevers, C. (2018) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsy074 · Cited by 7
“facilitating more deliberative, effortful information processing (DeWall et al., 2010).”
Background
The Social Neuroscience of Empathy and its Relationship to Moral Behavior
Decety, J., & Cowell, J. M. (2018) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118650868.ch7 · Cited by 10

Authors: DeWall, C. N., MacDonald, G., Webster, G. D., Masten, C. L., Baumeister, R. F., Powell, C., Combs, D., Schurtz, D. R., Stillman, T. F., Tice, D. M., & Eisenberger, N. I.
Affiliations: University of Kentucky (US)
University of Toronto (CA)
University of Florida (US)
University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Florida State University (US)
Georgia College & State University (US)
ORCID: DeWall, C. Nathan
MacDonald, Geoff
Webster, Gregory D.
Baumeister, Roy F.
Powell, Caitlin
Stillman, Tyler F.
Tice, Dianne M.
Eisenberger, Naomi I.
Venue: Psychological Science
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2010-06-14
Volume: 21
Issue: 7
Pages: 931-937
ISSN: 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
1467-9280
DOI: 10.1177/0956797610374741
OpenAlex: W2114477072
Cited by: 486
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 13 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 27
FWCI: 35.85
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Institute of Mental Health (MH-65999)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords: paracetamol, social pain, social rejection, bodily pain, analgesia, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, placebo, affective pain
MeSH terms: Acetaminophen, Brain, Brain Mapping, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pain, Reference Values, Rejection, Psychology, Social Behavior, Social Desirability, Stress, Psychological, Students, Analgesics, Non-Narcotic

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Acetaminophen Reduces Social Pain: Behavioral and Neural Evidence

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