We’ve all felt excluded at least once or twice in our lives—I don’t care if you were the most popular person in school or if you pride yourself on being the glue that keeps your friends together. Think back to that one time you weren’t picked for a team in gym class; when you didn’t get an invite to that beach trip; or when you felt like the third wheel on an outing with your two friends. Did feelings of pain and rejection just come rushing back to you? Yeah… sorry about that. But now try to remember how you confronted or solved those feelings. Did you resort to occupying yourself with social media? Or finding someone else to hang out with? Or maybe you didn’t have to do anything—because someone came rushing to your aid, gave you a gentle hug, and left you feeling good as new. When we face social rejection, we often feel disconnected, unwanted, and even unloved—so it makes sense that a hug or even a pat on the back from someone would make us feel better. And a new study “The soothing function of touch: affective touch reduces feelings of social exclusion” from UCL confirms just that, as they’ve found that the gentle touch of another effectively soothes painful effects of social exclusion. Recent findings that simple touch, or more particularly gentle stroking, may create a special coding system between the skin and the brain precede this study, as well as others that have explored effects of social support. But this particular research tested the different effects of slow, affectionate touches and quick, neutral touches. In order to do so, researchers recruited 84 healthy women and led them all to believe they were simply playing a computerized game with two other participants, which involved throwing and catching a ball back and forth. After several go’s, the subjects then answered questions related to needs typically threatened by exclusion such as feelings of belonging, self-esteem, and meaningful existence. After a 10-minute break, they began playing the game again; but this time, the other players (which were really computer-generated) unexpectedly stopped throwing the ball to the real participant—this was designed to induce social exclusion. Immediately following, the participants were blindfolded while an experimenter stroked marked areas of their forearms for 70 seconds, either slowly or quickly. They then answered the same questions as before. Researchers took both sets of questionnaires, compared them to one another and controlled them against a baseline. They found that those touched at a slow speed had reduced feelings of negativity as well as social exclusion brought on by the game compared to those who were administered a fast, neutral touch. Neither the slow or quick touch, however, successfully eliminated all negative effects of the social exclusion. The team was not surprised in the slightest by their results: “The current findings supported our predictions. Slow touch, which was perceived as more pleasant than fast touch, was able to buffer to a degree the effects of interpersonal threatening experiences such as ostracism,” they explain in their paper. “Moreover, we found that affective touch did not have a more general effect on improving affect post-exclusion. Instead, it appears that affective touch is particularly effective in reducing feelings of social exclusion.” When we’re not the ones being excluded, it’s fairly easy to simplify the effects of social exclusion—but the second it happens to us, those negative feelings all come flooding back. The truth is that social exclusion can do a lot of harm; however, it’s consolation to know that an easy fix is at our disposal: human touch, as explained by lead author Mariana von Mohr of UCL Clinical, Education and Health Psychology: “As our social world is becoming increasingly visual and digital, it is easy to forget the power of touch in human relations. Yet we’ve shown for the first time that mere slow, gentle stroking by a stranger can reduce feelings of social exclusion after social rejection.” Sources: UCL “Gentle Touch Soothes Pain of Social Rejection.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 18 October 2017. <http://neurosciencenews.com/touch-social-rejection-7764/>. “The soothing function of touch: affective touch reduces feelings of social exclusion” by Mariana von Mohr, Louise P. Kirsch & Aikaterini Fotopoulou in Scientific Reports. Published online October 18 2017
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2 min read New Serotonin Study Suggests Psychedelics May Effectively Treat Mental Illness Taylor Bennett 2 min read Study reveals the desire to drink alcohol at night is due to our brain’s immune system Taylor Bennett 3 min read Jane Elliot’s famous classroom experiment: How eye color helped her students to understand the effects of discrimination Taylor Bennett 3 min read Why are we so scared of snakes and spiders? According to researchers, this fear is ingrained in our brains Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says Playing Video Games for Just One Hour Can Improve Concentration Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says We Find Comfort in Listening to the Same Song Repeatedly Taylor Bennett 2 min read A new study finds that levels of oxytocin, “the love hormone,” are significantly lower in adults who were children when their parents divorced Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett No comments yet Disclaimer The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. If you’re in a crisis, do not use this site. Please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use these resources to get immediate help. Find a provider ... Award-winning online & in-person therapy, covered by insurance. Call us to book Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session. Call (833) 966-4233 Book online Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps. Find a provider
2 min read Study reveals the desire to drink alcohol at night is due to our brain’s immune system Taylor Bennett 3 min read Jane Elliot’s famous classroom experiment: How eye color helped her students to understand the effects of discrimination Taylor Bennett 3 min read Why are we so scared of snakes and spiders? According to researchers, this fear is ingrained in our brains Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says Playing Video Games for Just One Hour Can Improve Concentration Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says We Find Comfort in Listening to the Same Song Repeatedly Taylor Bennett 2 min read A new study finds that levels of oxytocin, “the love hormone,” are significantly lower in adults who were children when their parents divorced Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett No comments yet Disclaimer The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. If you’re in a crisis, do not use this site. Please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use these resources to get immediate help. Find a provider ... Award-winning online & in-person therapy, covered by insurance. Call us to book Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session. Call (833) 966-4233 Book online Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps. Find a provider
3 min read Jane Elliot’s famous classroom experiment: How eye color helped her students to understand the effects of discrimination Taylor Bennett 3 min read Why are we so scared of snakes and spiders? According to researchers, this fear is ingrained in our brains Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says Playing Video Games for Just One Hour Can Improve Concentration Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says We Find Comfort in Listening to the Same Song Repeatedly Taylor Bennett 2 min read A new study finds that levels of oxytocin, “the love hormone,” are significantly lower in adults who were children when their parents divorced Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett No comments yet Disclaimer The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. If you’re in a crisis, do not use this site. Please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use these resources to get immediate help. Find a provider ... Award-winning online & in-person therapy, covered by insurance. Call us to book Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session. Call (833) 966-4233 Book online Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps. Find a provider
3 min read Why are we so scared of snakes and spiders? According to researchers, this fear is ingrained in our brains Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says Playing Video Games for Just One Hour Can Improve Concentration Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says We Find Comfort in Listening to the Same Song Repeatedly Taylor Bennett 2 min read A new study finds that levels of oxytocin, “the love hormone,” are significantly lower in adults who were children when their parents divorced Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett No comments yet Disclaimer The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. If you’re in a crisis, do not use this site. Please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use these resources to get immediate help. Find a provider ... Award-winning online & in-person therapy, covered by insurance. Call us to book Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session. Call (833) 966-4233 Book online Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps. Find a provider
3 min read Study Says Playing Video Games for Just One Hour Can Improve Concentration Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Says We Find Comfort in Listening to the Same Song Repeatedly Taylor Bennett 2 min read A new study finds that levels of oxytocin, “the love hormone,” are significantly lower in adults who were children when their parents divorced Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett No comments yet Disclaimer The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. If you’re in a crisis, do not use this site. Please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use these resources to get immediate help. Find a provider ... Award-winning online & in-person therapy, covered by insurance. Call us to book Our team is happy to help you schedule your first session. Call (833) 966-4233 Book online Find the right provider for you. Book your session online yourself in just a few easy steps. Find a provider
3 min read Study Says We Find Comfort in Listening to the Same Song Repeatedly Taylor Bennett 2 min read A new study finds that levels of oxytocin, “the love hormone,” are significantly lower in adults who were children when their parents divorced Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett No comments yet Disclaimer The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. If you’re in a crisis, do not use this site. Please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use these resources to get immediate help.
2 min read A new study finds that levels of oxytocin, “the love hormone,” are significantly lower in adults who were children when their parents divorced Taylor Bennett 3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett No comments yet Disclaimer The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. If you’re in a crisis, do not use this site. Please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use these resources to get immediate help.
3 min read Study Finds Link Between Video Games and High Levels of Intelligence Taylor Bennett 3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett
3 min read New research says your favorite superhero can inspire you to become a better person and act heroically, too Taylor Bennett 4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett
4 min read US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and hopeless about the presidential election, according to survey of mental health professionals Taylor Bennett 3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett
3 min read Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves Taylor Bennett