Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2026

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
The role of operant conditioning in chronic pain: an experimental investigation
Herta Flor1, Bärbel Knost, Niels Birbaumer
1Department of Neuropsychology, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Central Institute of Mental Health, J 5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany. flor@as200.zi-mannheim.de
Abstract:
The role of operant conditioning for the development and maintenance of chronic pain was examined in 30 chronic back pain patients (CBP) and 30 matched healthy controls. Half of each group was reinforced for increased, half for decreased pain reports while EEG, EOG, heart rate, skin conductance and muscle tension levels were recorded. Both groups showed similar learning rates, however, the CBP patients displayed slower extinction of both the verbal and the cortical (N150) pain response. In addition, the CBP group displayed prolonged elevated electromyogram levels to the task. These data suggest that CBP patients are more easily influenced by operant conditioning factors than healthy controls and this susceptibility may add to the maintenance of the chronic pain problem.
Related Concept Videos
Analgesia and Pain Management
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Nociception
Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
Pain
Classical Conditioning in Daily Life
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...

