Attention plays a pivotal role in the experience of pain and its impact upon daily activities. Accordingly, research on the interplay between attention and pain has a long scientific history. This chapter discusses the theoretical frameworks that aim to explain the relationship between attention and pain. It argues for a motivational perspective on pain that highlights the critical role of cognitive, affective, and contextual factors in explaining the interplay between attention and pain. To substantiate this argument, the chapter provides an overview of available research addressing the bottom-up capture of attention by pain and the top-down modulation (both inhibition and facilitation) of attention for pain. It concludes with guidelines and suggestions for future research and discusses clinical implications of adopting a motivational perspective on pain.
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