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Subject versus experimenter control in the reaction to pain
Matisyohu Weisenberg1, Yuval Wolf, Tamar Mittwoch
1Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52100 Israel.
Pain
|October 1, 1985
Summary
Perceived control impacts pain reactions, with combined decisional and behavioral control reducing pain most effectively. Inadequate control can worsen pain responses, especially for anxious individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Management
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Perceived control is often used to mitigate pain reactions, but its precise role remains unclear.
- Understanding control as a mediating variable is crucial for pain management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the effects of perceived control on pain reactions.
- To examine control as a mediator influenced by self-efficacy and trait anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Varied types of control (decisional, behavioral, experimenter) across five groups.
- Manipulated predictability of pain stimulation within subjects.
- Measured perceived self-efficacy and trait anxiety as predispositional variables.
Main Results:
- Decisional control alone increased pain reactions; combined decisional and behavioral control decreased them most significantly.
- Self-efficacy and trait anxiety were significant predictors of pain outcomes.
- Experimenter control had differential effects based on self-efficacy levels, increasing pain for those with low self-efficacy.
Conclusions:
- The type and perception of control significantly influence pain responses.
- Inadequate perceived control may be more detrimental than no control.
- Managing trait anxiety is essential, as adding control can exacerbate pain in highly anxious individuals.