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Rejection and Pain Sensitivity: Why Rejection Sometimes Hurts and Sometimes Numbs

Bernstein, Michael J.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1269914149

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Psychology.
Some research indicates that social rejection leads to increased pain sensitivity, whereas other work indicates that rejection causes physical-pain numbing. This research sought to examine potential moderators and mediators of these effects. In Study 1, the paradigm used to manipulate social rejection was found to be a moderator of the social rejection-pain sensitivity relationship: Cyberball rejection led to pain hypersensitivity whereas future-life rejection led to pain numbing. The former was fully mediated by threats to belonging. In Study 2, I further examined why the rejection paradigm itself acts as a moderator. I speculated that future-life rejection may be a much more intense experience than is a Cyberball rejection and that more intense social rejection experiences might lead to numbing whereas less intense manipulations might lead to hypersensitivity. In Study 2, I subjected participants to either the standard future-life rejection manipulation or a newly-created less-intense version. Supporting my hypothesis, the standard (highly intense) future-life rejection led to physical pain numbing, whereas the less-intense future-life rejection resulted in hypersensitivity. Implications of these results for understanding the rejection-pain relation and other rejection effects are discussed.
Heather Claypool, PhD (Committee Chair)
Kurt Hugenberg, PhD (Committee Member)
Allen McConnell, PhD (Committee Member)
Bruce Cochrane, PhD (Committee Member)
44 p.
Psychology
ostracism; social rejection; pain sensitivity; group affiliation; social exclusion

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bernstein, M. J. (2010). Rejection and Pain Sensitivity: Why Rejection Sometimes Hurts and Sometimes Numbs [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1269914149

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bernstein, Michael. Rejection and Pain Sensitivity: Why Rejection Sometimes Hurts and Sometimes Numbs. 2010. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1269914149.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bernstein, Michael. "Rejection and Pain Sensitivity: Why Rejection Sometimes Hurts and Sometimes Numbs." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1269914149

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami1269914149
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.