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Goals for coping with pain mitigate time distortion
1Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487-0348.
The American Journal of Psychology
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Experiencing pain distorts time perception. However, setting specific time goals while coping with pain can improve time estimation accuracy, making time feel longer and more accurately perceived.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Perception
- Time Perception
Background:
- Pain, particularly headache, is known to alter the perception of time.
- Previous research indicates that clinical pain can attenuate retrospective time passage estimates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how specific versus nonspecific time-oriented goals affect time perception in individuals experiencing pain.
- To examine the influence of laboratory-induced pain on time estimation.
Main Methods:
- The cold pressor test was employed to induce pain in participants.
- Participants were assigned to either a specific time goal condition or a nonspecific time goal condition for pain coping.
- Retrospective time estimations were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Laboratory-induced pain, similar to clinical headache pain, attenuated time passage estimates.
- Providing a specific time goal for pain management significantly minimized time distortion.
- Individuals in pain with a specific goal estimated time as significantly longer and more accurately compared to those without a specific goal.
Conclusions:
- Specific time-oriented goals can mitigate the distorting effects of pain on time perception.
- The findings suggest a potential strategy for managing pain-related time distortions through goal setting.