The Effects of Brief Social Exclusion on Pain Perception and Pain Memory in Adolescents

Peer relationship problems are associated with pain complaints; however, experimental data linking the two are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether brief social exclusion influences pain processing in healthy adolescents.

A total of 40 adolescents were randomly assigned to a social exclusion or social inclusion/control condition; they then completed a cold pressor task and provided pain ratings. Two weeks later, participants provided ratings for their memory for pain during the cold pressor (n_analyzed = 33).

Social exclusion had no immediate effect on pain ratings; however, adolescents assigned to the exclusion condition recalled the pain as being less intense compared with adolescents in the inclusion/control condition.

In healthy adolescents, brief social exclusion may represent an emotionally salient event that inhibits subsequent rumination or focus on physical pain. Findings should be replicated, and future studies should include youth with chronic pain and/or personal histories of peer victimization.