Priming with energy drinks may promote men’s tolerance of social pain

In advertising of caffeinated energy drinks, there appears to be a consistent emphasis reinforcing masculine identification. Greater tolerance of social pain in a situation of exclusion is a characteristic particularly identified with masculinity. In this study, we tested the priming effect of an energy drink on men’s social pain tolerance in the situation of experiencing social exclusion in Cyberball, a virtual ball-tossing game. We recruited 93 men who were undergraduate students at a university in Taiwan to participate in an experimental study. Results showed that the men exposed to a popular caffeinated energy drink (Red Bull) tolerated being excluded from a greater number of throws in Cyberball than did those with a neutral prime or no prime. Induced conformity to masculine norms mediated the link between the energy drink prime and increased tolerance of social pain. These findings suggest that mere exposure to energy drinks may lead men to behave according to masculine norms in a seemingly unrelated domain.