The present study examined an important distinction between social and physical pain: Individuals can relive and reexperience social pain more easily and more intensely than physical pain. Studies 1 and 2 showed that people reported higher levels of pain after reliving a past socially painful event than after reliving a past physically painful event. Studies 3 and 4 found, in addition, that people performed worse on cognitively demanding tasks after they relived social rather than physical pain.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Physical vs. Emotional Trauma
The issue seems to be we remember the emotionally traumatic events more than the physical. From When hurt will not heal, by Chen et al:
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Physical pain comes from sensors which the brain can attenuate as needed. Social pain comes from the interaction between the concious, trying to mute the feelings and the unconcious that keeps refreshing them, each time with greater emphasis.
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