Cognitive mediators in the reduction of pain: The role of expectancy, strategy use, and self-presentation.

Abstract

Eighty subjects underwent three trials of cold-pressor pain. The first cold-pressor trial served as a baseline. Next, subjects in a neutral (no expectancy information) condition were taught a distraction strategy (shadowing letters) before one cold-pressor trial and an imagery strategy before the other. Subjects in other conditions received positive expectancy information about one of the strategies and negative expectancy information about the other. Negative information reduced expectancy ratings and decreased the magnitude of reported pain reductions. Both pretested levels of social desirability and degree of absorption in strategy use made contributions to the prediction of pain reduction that were independent of expectancy ratings. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Dispositional predictors of placebo responding: A motivational interpretation of flower essence and gratitude therapy

“…In two earlier studies [57,58], participants were given distraction or imagery tasks that were presented as techniques for reducing pain perception in a cold pressor task. As these tasks are effective only when contextualized as pain relievers, this shows that they elicit a meaning response.…”

Submersion in the experience: The examination of the Tellegen Absorption Scale in an undergraduate university sample

“…Egyes kutatások arra utalnak, hogy az abszorpciós képesség a tudat állapotának megváltoztatásával és a figyelem fókuszálásával elô-segítheti a fájdalomérzet csökkentését vagy akár annak teljes kiküszöbö-lését is (Marino, Gwynn, & Spanos, 1989). Ahogy az abszorpciós képesség elmélyítheti a negatív tüneteket, ugyanúgy fokozhatja a pozitív emóciók és ezek szomatikus korrelátumainak intenzitását is.…”

Motivational concordance: An important mechanism in self-help therapeutic rituals involving inert (placebo) substances

“…Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. There is considerable consensus that conditioning and expectancy can both play a role [6], but there is also evidence for the existence of additional mechanisms [7][8][9][10][11].…”