Developmental Contributions to the Assessment of Children’s Pain: Conceptual and Methodological Implications

Interviewing Young Children about Body Touch and Handling

“…(3) Will children's pain judgment parallel or differ from adults' judgment? Peterson, Harbeck, Farmer, and Zink (1991) note that the pain of most medical procedures is of high intensity but of short duration. Painful touches are more stressful than benign touches, and touches that break body boundaries or enter body orifices are more stressful than those that touch only the body surface.…”

“…While the documentation of children's pain during and immediately following medical and surgical procedures is common, and while there has been attention to the role of a child's cognitive and linguistic ability to understand and describe pain (Gaffney & Dunne, 1986;Harbeck & Peterson, 1992), investigation of the role of pain in children's memory of procedures is rare (Peterson et al, 1991;Steward, 1993). Three research teams have studied the relation between children's pain ratings of a medical procedure and their later memory of the event.…”

Psychological Preparation for Pediatric Oncology Patients Undergoing Painful Procedures: A Methodological Critique of the Research

“…Cognitive development may influence children's appraisal of stressful health care situations in several ways (Peterson, 1989). However, in the pediatric literature, including research on children with cancer, the hypothesis that developmental differences in healthlillness concepts influence cognitive appraisal of medical stressors has not been tested (Peterson, 1989;Peterson, Harbeck, Farmer, & Zink, 1991). However, in the pediatric literature, including research on children with cancer, the hypothesis that developmental differences in healthlillness concepts influence cognitive appraisal of medical stressors has not been tested (Peterson, 1989;Peterson, Harbeck, Farmer, & Zink, 1991).…”

“…Primitive time concepts may preclude an adequate appraisal of medical stressors. However, in pediatric research, including studies on cancer patients, the influence of time concept development on appraisal of and reaction to medical stressors has yet to be investigated (Peterson, 1989;Peterson et al, 1991). However, in pediatric research, including studies on cancer patients, the influence of time concept development on appraisal of and reaction to medical stressors has yet to be investigated (Peterson, 1989;Peterson et al, 1991).…”

“…Children's memories of past illness and nledical experiences are particularly poor (e.g., Johnston & Salazar, 1979). However, in research in pediatric settings, including studies of children with cancer, the influence of memory on cognitive appraisal of medical stressors has ndt been examined (Peterson, 1989;Peterson et al, 1991).…”