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Locus of control patterns in headaches and chronic pain
Francisco Javier Cano-García1, Luis Rodríguez-Franco, Ana María López-Jiménez
1Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of Seville, Spain. fjcano@us.es
Pain Research & Management
|August 13, 2013
Summary
This study identified six locus of control (LOC) patterns in chronic pain patients, revealing distinct adjustment levels. Analyzing these patterns offers a more accurate understanding of pain management than individual LOC factors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Management
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Locus of control (LOC) influences headache and chronic pain perception, but existing literature shows inconsistencies.
- These inconsistencies may stem from analyzing LOC factors in isolation, neglecting their interactions.
- Wallston and Wallston's 1982 model proposed eight LOC health patterns based on three dimensions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific LOC patterns in patients experiencing headaches and chronic pain.
- To validate these identified LOC patterns against key pain indicators.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 228 individuals from three public centers in Seville, Spain.
- Utilized semistructured clinical interviews and psychological pain-related questionnaires.
- Employed two-step cluster analysis and ANCOVA for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- A six-cluster solution was determined to be optimal.
- Identified patterns included: the believer in control, yea-sayer, pure chance, pure internal, pure professional, and nay-sayer.
- Double external (Type VI) clusters were not observed; clusters were rankable by adjustment to chronic pain.
Conclusions:
- The study empirically validates Wallston and Wallston's 1982 theoretical LOC patterns model within a chronic pain cohort.
- Analyzing LOC patterns provides superior insights into pain adjustment compared to examining individual LOC factors.
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