Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026
09:00
Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
Published on: October 3, 2020
4.5K
The Opportunity to Avoid Pain May Paradoxically Increase Fear
Christine M van Vliet1, Ann Meulders2, Linda M G Vancleef3
1Research Group Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Center for Excellence on Generalization Research in Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium..
The Journal of Pain
|May 20, 2018
Summary
Engaging in pain avoidance behaviors can paradoxically increase pain-related fear, challenging traditional fear-avoidance models. This suggests that allowing avoidance during pain treatment may hinder fear reduction.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Research
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Fear-avoidance models suggest pain-related fear drives avoidance, leading to chronic pain.
- Avoidance is typically intended to reduce fear, but its effect may be paradoxical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the bidirectionality hypothesis: whether avoidance behavior increases pain-related fear.
- To investigate the impact of perceived avoidance on fear levels in a controlled setting.
Main Methods:
- A between-subject design with 64 participants randomly assigned to avoidance or control groups.
- The avoidance group believed they could stop a painful stimulus, while the control group did not.
- Pain-related fear was assessed, with avoidance opportunities later removed.
Main Results:
- Participants who avoided the painful stimulus reported higher pain-related fear.
- In the avoidance group, fear increased even before actual avoidance behavior occurred.
- Eyeblink startle measures did not support the observed fear pattern.
Conclusions:
- Findings offer partial support for the bidirectionality hypothesis between avoidance and fear.
- Clinical implications suggest that permitting avoidance during pain treatment may impede fear reduction efforts.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance
5.8K
Primary motives such as sleep, sex, and pain avoidance are crucial drivers of behavior in humans and animals. These motives ensure survival, reproductive success, and overall well-being by prompting actions that meet essential bodily needs.
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
5.8K
01:14Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance
694
Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the...
694
01:18Increasing Function
401
An increasing function exhibits a rise in output values as input values increase. This behavior is depicted graphically as a curve or line that slopes upward from left to right. Such a function satisfies the condition that if x1 < x2, then f(x1) < f(x2), indicating that the function values grow with increasing inputs. This concept is fundamental in understanding growth trends across various domains, such as population dynamics, financial investments, or resource consumption.The...
401
01:20Pain
1.4K
Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
1.4K
01:26Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
840
Narcissistic and avoidant personality traits represent two contrasting patterns of behavior that significantly influence social interactions and self-perception. While individuals with narcissistic disorder seek admiration and validation, individuals with avoidant personality disorder withdraw due to fear of judgment.
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
840
01:25Increased Body Temperature
7.5K
A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in...
7.5K