Social lubricant

Short description: Substance or activity that stimulates social interaction

People drinking alcohol at a pub in Brighton, England

A social lubricant is any food, beverage, drug, or activity that stimulates social interactions or helps people feel more comfortable in social occasions.[1] Different cultures use different social lubricants for this purpose. Some common social lubricants are:

* Humor[2]
* Music[3]
* Alcoholic beverages (beer in pub culture, or wine in wine bars, for example)[4]
* Dogs[5]

Social lubricant is sometimes used as a euphemism for a bribe or other improper payment.[6]

Referring to alcohol or cannabis as social lubricants has been criticized because they have negative effects on empathy. Alcohol has the potential to increase aggression and cause disputes or violence.[7]

## See also

* Icebreaker (facilitation)

## References

1. ↑ Simmons, Nathaniel (2015). "Using Social Lubricants to Increase Conversationality". Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD 2. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=discoursejournal. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
2. ↑ Reilly, Rosemary (2006). "Humor as a Social Lubricant in an Expert Thinking System". The International Journey of Learning 13. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/6433/1/Reilly_HumorExpert.pdf. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
3. ↑ "The Impactful Beat: Understanding Why Music Sets the Event Tone". January 18, 2024. https://insidepulse.com/2024/01/18/the-impactful-beat-understanding-why-music-sets-the-event-tone/.
4. ↑ "Alcohol is a Social Lubricant, Study Confirms". Association for Psychological Science. August 21, 2012. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/alcohol-is-a-social-lubricant-study-confirms.html.
5. ↑ "The Lube Effect: Dogs Foster Cooperation and Trust in Humans | Psychology Today". https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201703/the-lube-effect-dogs-foster-cooperation-and-trust-in-humans.
6. ↑ Moore, Fernanda (September 23, 2004). "The Priceless Payoff". New York Magazine. https://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/features/9939/.
7. ↑ Fairbairn, Catharine; Sayette, Michael (September 2014). "A Social-Attributional Analysis of Alcohol Response". Psychological Bulletin 140 (5): 1361–1382. doi:10.1037/a0037563. PMID 25180806.

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