One of my favorite Slog tippers flagged this recent study:

What doesn’t kill us may make us stronger as a group, according to findings from new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research suggests that, despite its unpleasantness, pain may actually have positive social consequences, acting as a sort of “social glue” that fosters cohesion and solidarity within groups: “Our findings show that pain is a particularly powerful ingredient in producing bonding and cooperation between those who share painful experiences,” says psychological scientist and lead researcher Brock Bastian of the University of New South Wales in Australia. “The findings shed light on why camaraderie may develop between soldiers or others who share difficult and painful experiences.”

The researchers asked two groups of students to "perform either a painful task or a similar, relatively painless task." One group, for example, was asked to dunk their hands into lukewarm buckets of water to retrieve small metal balls at the bottom of the bucket; another group was asked to dunk their hands into freezing cold buckets of water to retrieve the small metal balls. The groups who performed the painful task together—the group that suffered together—showed "a greater degree of bonding than did those who performed the pain-free versions, even after the researchers accounted for participant age, gender, and the size of the group."

The researchers conclude:

The pain experienced by some of the students seemed to serve a unique causal function, focusing the students’ attention on the shared pain and, ultimately, promoting group cohesion. These findings offer insight into many social, religious, and even sexual practices around the world that involve some element of pain.

So... submissive kinksters who claim to feel bonded to the subs they suffered alongside at a BDSM play party aren't just new-agey/woo-hooey about kink. Their sexual practices—the pain they sought out, experienced, and shared—actually do leave them feeling closer. The same probably goes for folks who've been through boot camp, survived frat hazings, and made it to work this morning on the New York City Subway. But it's nice to see researchers acknowledge, even glancingly, that kinksters derive real and lasting emotional benefits from their stigmatized "sex practices."