The number of friends and acquaintances is different for everyone. It seems that it primarily depends on psychological qualities. But, as it turned out, not only: our sociability is also influenced by physiology and even how actively we play sports.
American psychologists Katerina Johnson (Katerina Johnson) and Robert Dunbar (Robert Dunbar) conducted an experiment — a group of volunteers first answered the questions of the questionnaire, where, in particular, it was necessary to indicate how wide their social circle was and how often they played sports. The subjects were then asked to test how long they could sit in an uncomfortable position that caused pain and discomfort.
The results were, at first glance, surprising: people with a wide range of contacts could withstand pain much longer. The study also found that those who are actively involved in sports, and those who were constantly exposed to stress, on average had a narrower social circle.
Scientists believe that the endorphin system of the brain can explain this connection. Endorphins primarily play the role of natural painkillers in our body, but they also help us enjoy socializing and encourage us to make new friends. For example, according to some theories, in patients with depression, the work of the endorphin system is disturbed, as a result, communication ceases to bring them joy and they begin to avoid it.
But why, then, were the physically active study participants not as sociable on average? Here is how Katerina Johnson explains this phenomenon: “Of course, it may just be that these people spend so much time on sports that they have no time to meet friends. However, I see a more interesting explanation. Physical activity, like communication, contributes to the production of endorphins. It seems that some of us get most of the «endorphin high» from sports and physical activity, and after that we don’t really need communication anymore.».
However, communication should not be neglected. Research shows that both the quantity and quality of social contacts affect our mental and physical health and even life expectancy. “Evolution has adapted us to live in an active social environment, and in today’s digital world, live communication is becoming less and less, and this is bad for the health of society,” says Katerina Johnson.
K. Johnson, R. Dunbar «Pain tolerance predicts human social network size», Scientific Reports 6, 2016.