According to findings reported by the Associated Press, emotional pain such as a broken heart actually has a physical basis. Experiments designed to generate social distress indicated that the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain which responds to physical pain, was activated. It is suggested that our need for social connection is deeply rooted, because it was a mechanism to ensure survival long ago. This may also be why if infants and children don’t experience sufficient loving attachment with their caregivers, they don’t develop the needed social skills for healthy relationships, leading to dysfunctional thinking and behavior.