Compliments can have a powerful effect on our brains. When someone says something nice about us, it activates the reward centers in our brain and releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin. This reaction is primal and automatic – our brains are wired to enjoy praise. But why does a simple compliment make us feel so good? Here’s an overview of what’s happening in your brain when you receive a compliment.
Dopamine Release
One of the main chemicals involved in our reaction to compliments is dopamine. This neurotransmitter is associated with motivation, pleasure, and reward. Dopamine is released when we experience things like food, sex, drugs, or social interactions. Research shows that receiving a compliment triggers dopamine secretion in the same way as these other pleasurable rewards.
In one study, researchers scanned people’s brains while they were receiving praise. When participants were complimented on a personality trait, there was increased activity in the ventral striatum – a key part of the brain’s reward circuitry. This was coupled with the release of dopamine. The effect was similar to what’s observed when people win money or view attractive faces.
So in essence, a compliment delivers the same rush of feel-good dopamine as other enjoyable activities. This reinforces behaviors related to the praise and motivates us to repeat actions that resulted in the compliment. The dopamine hit also puts us in a good mood.
Oxytocin Release
Along with dopamine, receiving compliments also causes the release of oxytocin – sometimes called the “love hormone.” Oxytocin is involved in social bonding, feelings of affection, and positive communication. It’s released during hugging, orgasm, and childbirth.
Oxytocin is also secreted when someone gives us positive feedback. Even small expressions of praise can trigger elevated oxytocin levels. This hormone boosts feelings of trust, bonding, and intimacy with the person giving the compliment.
Studies show that compliments with positive intent increase perceptions of trustworthiness towards the giver. Oxytocin helps facilitate this reaction. By releasing this hormone, genuine praise can reinforce social connections and create warm fuzzy feelings towards the complimenter.
Boost to Self-Esteem
In addition to the chemical reactions, compliments affect our brains on a psychological level by boosting self-esteem. When someone praises us, it provides external validation of our skills, abilities, appearance, or personality. This positive feedback gets incorporated into our self-concept and beliefs about ourselves.
Neuroimaging scans reveal that favorable judgments activate areas of the brain involved in understanding our identity and place in the world. Compliments lit up regions involved with introspection and self-processing. Your sense of self-worth lights up when someone says something nice about you!
Regular praise can have long-term impacts on brain structures related to self-esteem and evaluation. One study found that a history of supportive comments from parents and friends produced greater volume in regions linked to self-perception and social awareness. Compliments literally seem to shape neural networks involved in self-esteem.
Social Pain Relief
The social rewards of compliments also relieve “social pain” in the brain caused by rejection or exclusion. Neuroimaging studies show that social rejection activates similar brain networks as physical pain – such as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. This primal reaction reflects how important social bonds are to human survival.
However, praise has an analgesic effect on these neural pain pathways. Compliments trigger the release of opioids in the brain – chemicals that relieve both physical and social pain. In fact, the social pain relief from a positive social interaction can be as powerful as painkillers.
By soothing social pain neural circuits, approval from others provides comfort and feelings of group inclusion. Even a small compliment can suppress the sting of rejection or criticism.
Increased Work Motivation
In workplaces and schools, compliments can also increase motivation and performance by affecting the brain’s reward pathways. When someone praises our work, it reinforces the neural circuits involved in goal-directed behavior. This can increase focus and determination to succeed.
Neuroimaging shows that receiving a compliment on work performance activates the striatum – a reward-related area where dopamine is produced. One study found that praise from managers predicted increased employee job satisfaction and engagement. This was tied to enhanced striatum activation when employees were appreciated.
Regular praise and recognition is often utilized in business and education to fuel motivation and productivity. Complimenting accomplishments taps into the brain’s reward system to drive personal achievement.
Improved Mood and Reduced Stress
The flood of feel-good chemicals and increased self-esteem from compliments also improves overall mood. Being praised releases dopamine and oxytocin while reducing stress hormones like cortisol. This combats anxiety, depression, and negative emotions.
Neuroimaging reveals that receiving compliments activates parts of the frontal cortex associated with emotional processing and social interactions. This supports a positive mood boost. One study found that grateful comments from partners improved both mood and cardiovascular health by decreasing cortisol.
The stress-buffering effects of praise can even strengthen the immune system. One experiment showed that receiving positive social feedback protected against the immunosuppressant effects of stress. So hearing something nice about yourself provides mental and physical well-being benefits.
Motivation for Self-Improvement
While compliments make us feel good overall, they also contain information that can motivate self-improvement. Praise highlights our strengths and achievements, but also reveals domains where we lack competence or could perform better. Our brains take note of these shortcomings.
Research demonstrates that people are motivated to improve precisely on the dimensions where they receive praise. For example, being complimented for generosity might inspire greater charitable donations in the future. This motivation stems from neural pathways that compute differences between our current behavior and ideal standards.
By calling attention to areas where we fall short, sincere compliments drive us to take action to improve ourselves and resolve these cognitive gaps. Our brains constantly orient us towards growth – and well-crafted praise lights the path.
Increased Likeability and Attraction
On a social level, compliments increase our likeability and attractiveness in the eyes of others. When someone appreciates us verbally, it activates brain regions involved in social decision-making – including the reward circuits of the striatum. This can influence whether people view us positively.
One clever study exposed participants to subtle praise or criticism from strangers. They then rated the strangers’ likeability and inclination to interact with them. Individuals who gave compliments were seen as more likeable and socially approachable. This reflects how praise shifts our brains to view someone as friend not foe.
Compliments also increase perceived attractiveness – especially when given from someone we’re interested in romantically. Flattery turns on the mating circuits of the brain, lighting up regions associated with reward and sexuality. So a little praise can go a long way in starting relationships.
Boosted Interpersonal Skills
Delivering sincere compliments requires social awareness, empathy, and theory of mind – the ability to understand others’ thoughts and emotions. These interpersonal skills are housed in neural networks including the superior temporal cortex, temporoparietal junction, and medial prefrontal cortex.
Studies reveal that regularly giving compliments leads to increased volume and activity in these social processing regions. The neural circuits involved in considering other people’s feelings get a workout when we offer praise. This can strengthen overall interpersonal skills.
So thoughtful praise not only benefits the receiver – it also trains the giver’s brain for perspective-taking and social cognition. Making compliments a habit can build more considerate social skills.
Conclusion
In summary, scientific research sheds light on the profound impacts compliments can have on the brain:
- Feel-good chemical release of dopamine and oxytocin
- Boosted self-esteem and self-concept
- Pain relief from social rejection or criticism
- Increased motivation and work performance
- Enhanced mood and lowered stress
- Drive towards self-improvement
- Strengthened social bonds and likeability
- Honed social skills and empathy
It’s clear that simple praise provides a potent jolt to both the brain and social relationships. While too much flattery has diminishing returns, genuine compliments in moderation can profoundly shape our neural functioning for the better. The roots of this effect lie in human connection and the brain’s reward pathways. By delivering mindful praise, we can support each others’ brains in turn.
| Brain Region | Role |
|---|---|
| Ventral striatum | Reward processing and pleasure |
| Orbitofrontal cortex | Social decision-making |
| Frontal cortex | Regulates emotion |
| Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex | Processes social pain |