A series of studies published in Psychological Science found that money can influence
responses to both emotional and physical pain. Specifically. The researchers found
that handing physical money makes a person less sensitive to physical pain and reduces
the distress of being excluded in social situations.
In other words, wealth make you as hard and cold as steek. Or so the study says.
The methodologies for this study were odd to say the least.
For one of the tests, subjects were told to count out a stack of $100 dollar bills an
d then immerse their hands in hot water(109 degrees). Those who handled money reporte
d less pain than those who handled slips of blank paper.
In another, a group of students counted the stack of $100 bills and then played a com
puter game involving a ball toss with three other simulated players. Some of the play
ers were excluded from the ball toss during the game. Those who handled the money fel
t little or no distress at being excluded, while those who handled paper felt lower s
elt-esteem.
Acquired symbolic value of money, perhaps, because of associations with power or cont
rol,can influence responses to both emotional and physical pain, 'writes Harriet di W
it, a psychiatry professor at the University of Chicago.Conversely, thoughts of monet
ary loss may enhance physical or psychological pain.' I don't know about the pain par
t. Money can certainly buy some good prescription pain killers. In my own experience,
money doesn't seem to insulate the wealthy from their need to be liked. In fact, som
e of the wealthy I know seem to have a greater need to be liked than the nonwealthy
I know.
Do you think the studies findings are accurate? Does money dull physical or emotional p
ain?