Does a common pain reliever reduce empathy?
Following on from a series of similar studies, researchers are once again investigating whether acetaminophen can influence our psychology. This time, the focus is on positive empathy.
Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used drugs globally.
It offers quick relief from mild pain and is readily available over the counter.
Although the medical community considers acetaminophen to be a relatively safe and useful drug, a recent study asks whether it might have an unexpected effect on the population at large.
Researchers from Ohio University in Athens are examining its effect on our ability to empathize with others.
Lead author Dominik Mischkowski has been interested in this unusual topic for some time.
The psychology of pain relievers
Although the idea that a popular analgesic might have a psychological effect seems surprising, Mischkowski is not the only person to have investigated it.
For instance, a 2010 paper concluded that acetaminophen "reduced neural responses to social rejection." In other words, it appeared to reduce psychological pain.
A study from 2015 concluded that acetaminophen blunted "evaluative and emotional processing," while a more recent study involving people with borderline personality disorder found that acetaminophen increased their level of trust.
Mischkowski published the findings of a study in 2016, and Medical News Today covered it at the time. In the paper, the researchers explained how acetaminophen seemed to reduce participants' ability to empathize with those undergoing physical and emotional suffering.
According to Mischkowski, this common pain reliever blunts responsiveness to one's own pain and also to the pain of others.
"I'm still surprised about the striking psychological effects of such a common painkiller."
Lead author Dominik Mischkowski
Another look at empathy
In his latest study, Mischkowski wanted to expand on his previous work. Specifically, he set out with his colleagues to explore whether acetaminophen might also reduce someone's ability to experience positive empathy.
To investigate, the researchers recruited 114 participants. They gave half of the group 1,000 milligrams of acetaminophen, while the other half received an inert placebo. The study was double-blind, meaning that neither the researchers nor the participants knew whether they were receiving the active drug or the placebo.
