Social influences on factored dimensions of the McGill Pain Questionnaire

The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) was administered to 268 subjects following electrical stimulation to pain-tolerance limits. Subjects received stimulation under four social modeling conditions: tolerant, intolerant, control, and no model. The number of factors and degree of obliqueness most appropriate for the MPQ scores were determined using multiple criteria. Five factors, reflecting 46.6% of the total variance, were derived and labelled as follows: affective-arousal, sensory-pressure, perception of harm, somesthetic pressure, and cutaneous sensitivity. The various modeling conditions did not produce any significant between-group differences on the factors. The repeated demonstration that the MPQ assesses substantially more than the three components originally proposed suggests that considerable caution is warranted with respect to using the 'sensory-evaluative-affective' method of scoring this test. Considered in relation to previous research, the present findings are consistent with the conclusion that social influences affect fundamental components of subjective reactions to pain.