Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Optimal Calibration Hypothesis: How Life History Modulates The Brain's Social Pain Network, David S. Chester, Richard S. Pond Jr., Stephanie B. Richman, C. Nathan Dewall

Psychology Faculty Publications

A growing body of work demonstrates that the brain responds similarly to physical and social injury. Both experiences are associated with activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and anterior insula. This dual functionality of the dACC and anterior insula underscores the evolutionary importance of maintaining interpersonal bonds. Despite the weight that evolution has placed on social injury, the pain response to social rejection varies substantially across individuals. For example, work from our lab demonstrated that the brain's social pain response is moderated by attachment style: anxious-attachment was associated with greater intensity and avoidant-attachment was associated with less intensity …