Having more friends may mean you also have a
higher tolerance to pain, scientists from Oxford University claim.
Neurobiological differences in our brains could indeed influence both
our response to physical suffering and the way we socialise.
The research, published in Scientific Reports,
focuses on the role of endorphins - chemicals released by the brain and
associated with pain relief, euphoria or feelings of happiness. The
scientists wanted to understand whether higher levels of endorphins
could also be linked to having larger social networks.
Sociability and endorphins
Previous studies have suggested that
endorphins promote social bonding and that people with higher endorphin
signalling in their brain tend to feel more socially attached to others.
However, scientists say it is still unclear
what causes this relationship. Is it that people are more sociable
because their brain can produce more endorphins? Or rather, that people
get higher endorphins levels when they interact with others, which make
it easier for them to socialise the next time around?
"One theory, known as 'the brain opioid theory
of social attachment', is that social interactions trigger positive
emotions when endorphin binds to opioid receptors in the brain. This
gives us that feel-good factor that we get from seeing our friends",
explains lead author Katerina Johnson.
What is certain is that endorphins are
involved both in pain (physical and social) and pleasure circuits of the
brain. Whilst we know that social interactions help give us a feel-good
sensation, Johnson's research shows that having a large social network
is also linked to having a better tolerance to pain. "Endorphins can act
as natural painkillers produced by the body", Johnson explains.
The "wall-sit" game
The study involved participants completing
questionnaires about their social networks and answering questions about
their personality and lifestyle. They were then asked to go through a
physical task, squatting against a wall with knees at a 90° angle and a
straight back. This is also known as "the wall-sit test". Even when
allowing for individual differences in fitness levels, researchers found
that people with larger networks of friends were, on average, able to
stay longer in this position and tolerate the pain.
"More research needs to be dedicated to the
endorphin system, but from what we know it is crucial to social
interactions. Some studies have shown for example that if you block the
endorphin system you appear to reduce people's feeling of social
connection," Johnson concludes.
"The quantity and quality of our social
relationships affect our physical and mental health, so understanding
why individuals have different social networks sizes and the possible
neurobiological mechanisms involved is an important research topic".
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