Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Dynamic Quantitative Sensory Testing to Characterize Central Pain Processing
Published on: February 16, 2017
Motivational correlates of self-reported persistent pain in young adults
Objective:
We sought to illustrate that personal goals can provide a meaningful context within which to interpret physical pain and that persistent (nonclinical) pain correlates with dysfunctional goal evaluation for young adults.
Design:
A total of 127 college students reporting either no pain or persistent physical pain completed the Goal System Assessment Battery, a set of questionnaires designed to gauge stable and accessible representations of self-regulated goal pursuit.
Results:
The results supported the general contention that persons experiencing persistent pain (at subclinical levels) tend to evaluate their important life goals in a "problematic" fashion. Specifically, the presence of persistent pain was associated with lower ratings of self-efficacy, self-monitoring, self-reward, and less positive arousal.
Conclusions:
The pattern of goal construal produced by this young and generally healthy group of college students reflects cognitive-motivational dysfunctions possibly presaging pain-schemes in later life.
Related Concept Videos
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Analgesia and Pain Management
Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance
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...

