Individual Variation in Pain Sensitivity and Implicit Negative Bias Toward Pain

Although previous studies have shown the linkage between pain sensitivity and pain-related cognitions, this study investigated whether individual variation in pain sensitivity is related to implicit negative bias toward pain.

Two groups of participants with low (LPS) or high (HPS) pain sensitivity (LPS group: n = 33; HPS group: n = 31) were recruited based on their scores on pain sensitivity questionnaires. This categorization was later confirmed via pain ratings to electrical stimulations. Implicit negative bias toward pain was assessed using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) involving target (pain and nonpain) and attribute (negative and neutral-affect) concept words. Behavioral and event-related potential responses for congruent and incongruent pairings during the IAT were compared between the LPS and HPS groups.

Relative to the LPS group, participants in the HPS group exhibited greater D-score (Cohen's d = 0.364, p = .004). Event-related potential results showed that, although P3 amplitudes to congruent and incongruent pairings differed significantly for the HPS group (Cohen's d = 0.757, p < .001), this difference was not observed for the LPS group (Cohen's d = 0.089, p = .29). Mediation analysis further revealed that the IAT effect on P3 responses accounted for 17.58% of the association between pain sensitivity and D-score (confidence interval = [0.009-0.051]).

Individual variation in pain sensitivity relates to implicit negative bias. This linkage is partially accounted for by the electrophysiological response that has been related to cognitive process of stimulus evaluation and categorization. Pain treatment might benefit from techniques designed to alter implicit bias.