Research paper
Eisenberger NI, Lieberman MD, Williams KD. Does rejection hurt? An fMRI study of social exclusion. Science. 2003;302(5643):290-292. doi:10.1126/science.1089134. PMID: 14551436.
Why we cite it
An fMRI study of social exclusion. Participants were scanned during a virtual ball-tossing game that ended in their exclusion; anterior cingulate cortex activity rose during exclusion and tracked self-reported distress, paralleling findings from physical-pain research. The paper reports a parallel and a mediation model, not a demonstration that social and physical pain are the same thing. 1,626 citations (Europe PMC, 2026-08-31).
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