Effectiveness of cognitive reappraisal and distraction for acute pain: an experimental study

Abstract

Previous research demonstrated that cognitive reappraisal and distraction modulate pain. However, little is known about their differential effectiveness when the intensity of pain is low and moderate. The aim of this study was to analyse the differential efficacy of both strategies to reduce perceived pain intensity and pain unpleasantness under low and moderate pain levels. Ninety healthy adults completed the pain experimental procedure. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that at post-test, cognitive reappraisal and distraction were equally effective in reducing perceived pain intensity scores under a low level of pain stimulation; however, distraction was superior to cognitive reappraisal in decreasing perceived pain intensity scores under moderate pain levels. Neither distraction nor cognitive reappraisal were effective in decreasing pain unpleasantness scores regardless of the intensity of the painful stimuli. These findings highlighted that cognitive reappraisal and distraction are useful in the short-term to reduce perceived pain intensity in acute pain.