['Social support improves health and has been shown to attenuate stress and pain. The precise characteristics of social support responsible for these effects, however, remain elusive.', 'The purpose of this study is to examine the relative efficacy of social support versus a neutral non-verbal social presence to attenuate stress and pain.', 'Seventy-six participants provided pain ratings and task assessments during a cold pressor task (CPT) in one of three conditions: verbal social support, neutral non-support, or alone. Reactivity to the CPT was assessed via cardiovascular measures, cortisol, and subjective ratings.', 'Participants receiving social support showed attenuated blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol reactivity, as well as reduced pain ratings, task difficulty, tension, and effort compared to neutral non-support and alone conditions.'] Does social Support attenuate Physiological Stress Responses and Experimental Pain Sensitivity to Cold Pressor Pain?