Shared Pain Turns into Social Glue

In a series of experiments, people who underwent painful experiences such as plunging their hands into ice water felt more bonded to their fellow participants than did those who hadn’t experienced pain (3.71 versus 3.14 on a 5-point solidarity scale); moreover, shared pain promoted cooperative behavior among the participants, says a team led by Brock Bastian of the University of New South Wales in Australia. The findings may explain why painful experiences such as burning and mutilation are part of social rituals in many cultures, the researchers say.