Interpersonal Touch Buffers Pain Sensitivity in Romantic Relationships but Heightens Sensitivity between Strangers and Friends

Abstract

A variety of evidence suggests that interpersonal behaviors such as touch can have pain-alleviating effects on recipients. Less well understood is how touch affects sensitivity to pain in the first place, and whether its effects depend on the nature of the relationship in which it occurs. In the present experiment, 55 adults who had not been diagnosed with a pain disorder were exposed to a cold pressor pain induction with an opposite-sex stranger, platonic friend, or romantic partner who either touched their shoulders, was present in the room without touching them, or was absent during the cold pressor. The outcome variable was the self-reported level of pain induced by the stimulus at the moment when the stimulus became painful (i.e., pain sensitivity). Compared to presence or absence, touch dampened pain sensitivity for romantic partners, allowing them to tolerate more intensity before the stimulus became painful. Touch had the opposite effect for friends and strangers, heightening their sensitivity to pain.

Pain perception and physiological responses are modulated by active support from a romantic partner

“…Consistently with previous studies, we found that tactile support from a romantic partner significantly reduced pain perception both at the subjective (Coan et al, 2006;Floyd et al, 2018;Goldstein et al, 2018;Kreuder et al, 2019;von Mohr et al, 2018) and physiological level (Che et al, 2021;Goldstein et al, 2017;Reddan et al, 2020), thus confirming previous observations reporting the efficacy of this type of support in alleviating sufferance during painful experiences. Manifestations of affection (i.e., social touch, warm caresses, handholding, hugs) represent a fundamental aspect of intimate interpersonal interactions, and several studies have investigated their direct and indirect association with oxytocin release (Grewen et al, 2005;Holt-Lunstad et al, 2008;Kreuder et al, 2019).…”

“…Brown et al (2003) have shown that the mere presence of a supportive individual attenuates pain perception: it raises pain tolerance and decreases its perceived intensity, even without explicit verbal or physical support. Furthermore, social modulation of experimental pain has been proven to be boosted by emotional intimacy (Coan et al, 2006; Floyd et al, 2018). Several studies have shown that the support provided by a romantic partner is more effective compared with the one provided by a friend or a stranger (Coan et al, 2006; Floyd et al, 2018; Goldstein et al, 2017; Reddan et al, 2020) and that the mere activation of a partner's representation (e.g., looking at their pictures) is sufficient to alleviate the individual sufferance resulting from a painful experience (Eisenberger et al, 2011; Master et al, 2009; Younger et al, 2010).…”

“…Furthermore, social modulation of experimental pain has been proven to be boosted by emotional intimacy (Coan et al, 2006; Floyd et al, 2018). Several studies have shown that the support provided by a romantic partner is more effective compared with the one provided by a friend or a stranger (Coan et al, 2006; Floyd et al, 2018; Goldstein et al, 2017; Reddan et al, 2020) and that the mere activation of a partner's representation (e.g., looking at their pictures) is sufficient to alleviate the individual sufferance resulting from a painful experience (Eisenberger et al, 2011; Master et al, 2009; Younger et al, 2010). It has been argued that, when facing threatening situations, romantic partners may function as safety signals helping the individuals to better cope with adversities, by providing them with feelings of security and protection (Eisenberger et al, 2011).…”

Daily Hugging Predicts Lower Levels of Two Proinflammatory Cytokines

“…Moreover, affectionate communication in close relationships modulates cortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor (Floyd et al, 2007b; see also Ditzen et al, 2007), and enacting affectionate communication after a stressor accelerates cortisol recovery (Floyd et al, 2007a). Floyd, Pauley, and Hesse (2010) showed that serum oxytocin is partly responsible for the stress-buffering effect of affectionate communication, and additional studies have connected affectionate communication to blood lipids (Floyd et al, 2009;Floyd, Mikkelson, Hesse, & Pauley, 2007); natural killer cell toxicity (Floyd et al, 2014); B cells, T cells, and immunoglobulins (Floyd, Ray, van Raalte, Stein, & Generous, 2018); disordered sleep (Floyd, 2016); and susceptibility to pain (Floyd, Generous, Clark, McLeod, & Simon, 2017).…”

Exploring the associations between unwanted affection, stress, and anxiety

“…According to the theory, affection contributes to human survival and procreation through the development of pair bonds and access to useful resources. AET’s heuristic value is evidenced by an exponential growth of research on affection in the last decade (see Floyd, 2019), with a significant focus of physiological outcomes (e.g., Floyd et al, 2018). Using AET, affectionate communication has been examined across multiple relationships (e.g., Floyd & Morman, 2001; Horan & Booth-Butterfield, 2013) and with a variety of methodologies.…”