Social Support Counteracts Social Rejection Social support comes in many forms—even text messages, Facebook comments, and emails can help counteract feelings of social rejection. In one study involving the same virtual ball-tossing game described previously, the participants—after feeling socially excluded in the game—received emotionally supportive messages from the experimenters.25 That emotional support reduced discomfort-related insula activity and increased activity in both the lateral and medial prefrontal areas. These results suggest that emotional support enhances prefrontal activity,
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