LAUSR

It has been proposed that the definition of pain ideally recognizes not only sensory, cognitive, and emotional dimensions, but also a social dimension. Although it is widely acknowledged that interpersonal context modulates pain experience and communication, we still fail to understand why and how this modulation occurs. Drawing from evolutionary, social, and health psychology, we argue that pain is a fundamentally social and threatening human experience because it challenges several basic needs (Fig. 1): (1) the need for autonomy, (2) the need to belong, and (3) the need for justice/ fairness. Examining how pain interferes with these basic human needs can help us better understand the dynamic interplay between social context and pain. Here, we (1) define these fundamental human needs, (2) outline how pain threatens these needs, and (3) describe the consequences of such threats, especially for pain itself.