The induction of social pessimism reduces pain responsiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Horn-Hofmann ◽  
Jennifer J. Piloth ◽  
Astrid Schütz ◽  
Roy F. Baumeister ◽  
Stefan Lautenbacher
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Pain Catastrophizing ◽  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Threshold Pressure ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Probe Task

Abstract Objectives Past work has found that optimism reduces a person’s responsiveness to pain, but the effects of pessimism are not clear. Therefore, we gave pessimistic forecasts of participants’ future social life and measured changes in their pain responsiveness. In particular, some participants were told that they would end up alone in life. Methods Seventy-five subjects were investigated in three conditions (negative forecast, positive forecast, no forecast) for changes in pain threshold and pain tolerance threshold. Pressure pain induction was accomplished by either human- or machine-driven algometers. A randomly assigned bogus forecast promising either a lonely or a socially satisfying future was ostensibly based on a personality questionnaire and an emotional dot-probe task. As potential covariates, questionnaires assessing dispositional optimism (LOT-R), pain catastrophizing (PCS), and self-esteem (SISE) were given. Results Pain thresholds suggested a change toward unresponsiveness only in the negative forecast condition, with only small differences between the modes of pain induction (i.e., human or machine). The results for pain tolerance thresholds were less clear also because of limiting stimulation intensity for safety reasons. The covariates were not associated with these changes. Conclusions Thus, people expecting a lonely future became moderately less responsive to pain. This numbing effect was not modulated by personality measures, neither in a protective fashion via dispositional optimism and self-esteem nor in a risk-enhancing fashion via trait pain catastrophizing. Alternative mechanisms of action should be explored in future studies.

Emily Parker and Her Family

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy J. Miller ◽  
Grace E. Cho
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
European American ◽  
American Family ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Normative Practices

Chapter 8, “Emily Parker and Her Family,” is the first of four chapters that focus on individual children and their families. Forming the “Persons” part of the book, these chapters provide intimate portraits of the children and their circumstances, complementing the preceding chapters, which focused on normative practices. Emily Parker was the middle child in a middle-class European American family. She was an affectionate child who loved to please people and remained close to her older sister, despite their wrangles. Emily was sensitive to criticism from her parents but was unperturbed by her sister’s jibes. Mr. and Mrs. Parker immersed their children in a rich and varied social life in which Emily developed precocious social skills—evidence, her parents believed, of her high self-esteem. Emily learned to praise herself and to ask adults for help.

Esteem and self-esteem as an interweaving polarity. Max Weber´s analysis from the Protestant ethic to the ideal-type of politician

Human Affairs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-364
Author(s):  
Cristiana Senigaglia
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Max Weber ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Protestant Ethic ◽  
Social Reputation ◽  
Conduct Of Life ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Ideal

AbstractAlthough Max Weber does not specifically analyze the topic of esteem, his investigation of the Protestant ethic offers interesting insights into it. The change in mentality it engendered essentially contributed to enhancing the meaning and importance of esteem in modern society. In his analysis, Weber ascertains that esteem was fundamental to being accepted and integrated into the social life of congregations. Nevertheless, he also highlights that esteem was supported by a form of self-esteem which was not simply derived from a good social reputation, but also achieved through a deep and continual self-analysis as well as a strict discipline in the ethical conduct of life. The present analysis reconstructs the different aspects of the relationship between social and self-esteem and analyzes the consequences of that relationship by focusing on the exemplary case of the politician’s personality and ethic.

The association between selected genetic variants and individual differences in experimental pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Udnesseter Lie ◽  
Bendik Winsvold ◽  
Johannes Gjerstad ◽  
Dagfinn Matre ◽  
Linda M. Pedersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Experimental Pain ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Heat Pain ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Secondary Hyperalgesia ◽  
Heat Pain Threshold ◽  
Pain Patients

AbstractObjectivesThe underlying mechanisms for individual differences in experimental pain are not fully understood, but genetic susceptibility is hypothesized to explain some of these differences. In the present study we focus on three genetic variants important for modulating experimental pain related to serotonin (SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 A>G), catecholamine (COMT rs4680 Val158Met) and opioid (OPRM1 rs1799971 A118G) signaling. We aimed to investigate associations between each of the selected genetic variants and individual differences in experimental pain.MethodsIn total 356 subjects (232 low back pain patients and 124 healthy volunteers) were genotyped and assessed with tests of heat pain threshold, pressure pain thresholds, heat pain tolerance, conditioned pain modulation (CPM), offset analgesia, temporal summation and secondary hyperalgesia. Low back pain patients and healthy volunteers did not differ in regards to experimental test results or allelic frequencies, and were therefore analyzed as one group. The associations were tested using analysis of variance and the Kruskal-Wallis test.ResultsNo significant associations were observed between the genetic variants (SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 A>G, COMT rs4680 Val158Met and OPRM1 rs1799971 A118G) and individual differences in experimental pain (heat pain threshold, pressure pain threshold, heat pain tolerance, CPM, offset analgesia, temporal summation and secondary hyperalgesia).ConclusionsThe selected pain-associated genetic variants were not associated with individual differences in experimental pain. Genetic variants well known for playing central roles in pain perception failed to explain individual differences in experimental pain in 356 subjects. The finding is an important contribution to the literature, which often consists of studies with lower sample size and one or few experimental pain assessments.

Mental Retardation and Learning Integrating Skills

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Murdaca ◽  
Francesca Cuzzocrea ◽  
Patrizia Oliva ◽  
Rosalba Larcan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Social Life ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Cognitive Styles ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Precision Teaching ◽  
Training Phase ◽  
Disabled Patients

Studies have highlighted the importance of using new technologies during the planning of educational and didactic paths to develop skills and functions in disabled patients (Bruschi, 2001). Assistive technologies represent real opportunities of e-participation to social life (Calvani, 2011; Chiappetta Caiola, 2009), which also works as scaffolding to promote developing processes (Cooke & Husey, 2002). The authors’ contribution examines the importance of technologies in supporting subjects with mental retardation. It shows the usability of many inputs that offer disabled patients the possibility to exercise cognitive styles, their own characteristics and their own autonomies to increase motivation and self esteem. The aims of this research are a) verify the effectiveness of didactic software based on Precision Teaching method; b) verify gender differences. For this study 40 children have been selected (20 boys and 20 girls) with and without mental retardation. The research consisted of 3 phases: pre-training phase, training phase and post-training phase. Results show learning improvements in each group; in spite of students’ difficulties, the use of Precision Teaching has reduced significantly the initial cognitive gap, which refers to the number of correct responses (accuracy) and to time of response (fluency) relative to the learning of how to use money.

scholarly journals Swearing as a response to pain: Assessing hypoalgesic effects of novel “swear” words

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Stephens ◽  
Olly May Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Neutral Word ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Independent Variable ◽  
Cold Pressor Pain

Background: This pre-registered study extends previous findings that swearing alleviates pain tolerance by assessing the effects of a conventional swear word (“fuck”) and two new “swear” words, “fouch” and “twizpipe”.Method: A mixed sex group of participants (N = 92) completed a repeated measures experimental design augmented by mediation analysis. The independent variable was Word with the levels, “fuck” v. “fouch” v. “twizpipe” v. a neutral word. The dependent variables were emotion rating, humour rating, distraction rating, cold pressor pain threshold, cold pressor pain tolerance, pain perception score and change from resting heart rate. Possible mediation effects were assessed for emotion, humour and distraction ratings. Results: For conventional swearing (“fuck”), confirmatory analyses found a 32% increase in pain threshold and a 33% increase in pain tolerance, accompanied by increased ratings for emotion, humour and distraction, relative to the neutral word condition. The new “swear” words, “fouch” and “twizpipe” were rated higher than the neutral word for emotion and humour although these words did not affect pain threshold or tolerance. Changes in heart rate, pain perception and were absent, as were mediation effects.Conclusions: Our data replicate previous findings that repeating a swear word at a steady pace and volume benefits pain tolerance, extending this finding to pain threshold. Our data cannot explain how such effects are manifest, although distraction appears to be of little importance, and emotion is worthy of future study. The new “swear” words did not alleviate pain even though participants rated them as emotion evoking and humorous.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Response to Experimental Pain among Medical Students from a Western State of India

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Pratik Akhani ◽  
Samir Mendpara ◽  
Bhupendra Palan
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Pain Sensitivity ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Experimental Pain ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Pain Rating ◽  
Western State

Background: Pain is one of the most common reasons for patients to seek medical attention and it causes considerable human suffering. Pain is a complex perception that differs enormously among individual patients. Gender plays an important role in how pain is experienced, coped with and treated. Even young healthy individuals often differ in how they perceive and cope with pain. This study was done to investigate gender differences in response to experimental pain among medical students from a western state in India. Methods: A total of 150 medical students (86 males and 64 females) participated in this interventional study. The Cold Pressor Test was used to exert experimental pain. To study the response, cardiovascular measures (radial pulse, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure) and pain sensitivity parameters (pain threshold, pain tolerance and pain rating) were assessed. Results: No significant difference was found in cardiovascular response to experimental pain between both the genders (p>0.05). Pain threshold and pain tolerance were found to be significantly higher in males whereas pain rating was found to be significantly higher in females (p<0.01). Pulse reactivity showed a negative relationship with pain threshold and pain tolerance whereas a positive relationship with pain rating, however no statistically significant relation was found between these measures. Conclusion: Females display greater pain sensitivity than males. Different pain perception might account for gender difference in pulse reactivity.

scholarly journals Testing Whether Suicide Capability Has a Dynamic Propensity: The Role of Affect and Arousal on Momentary Fluctuations in Suicide Capability

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyne C. Law ◽  
Michael D. Anestis
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Main Effects

To prevent suicidal behaviors, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms and processes that enable an individual to act on suicidal thoughts. Suicide capability, which involves an increased pain tolerance and fearlessness of death, is a critical factor that enables an individual to endure the physical pain necessary to make a lethal suicide attempt. Extant research has largely conceptualized suicide capability as developing linearly in response to painful and provocative experiences, but the emerging literature on the temporal dynamics of suicide has been challenging the notion of linearity in suicide risk. Few studies have directly measured and compared changes in suicide capability in response to rumination on different affective states. We sought to experimentally test if rumination in the context of low vs. high arousal emotions will prompt distinct changes in two core components of suicide capability: pain tolerance and fearlessness of death on two undergraduate student samples. In both studies, participants provided measures of subjective emotional state as well as pain threshold, tolerance, and persistence before and after completing experimental manipulations which included both emotion and rumination induction procedures. In the second study, measures of fearlessness about death and physiological arousal (heart rate) were added to the experimental procedures. We found significant decreases in pain threshold, tolerance, and persistence following the experimental manipulations but found no main effects of rumination or suicide risk. These findings suggest that suicide capability can fluctuate but these changes may occur through a different mechanism and/or differ between individuals at varying levels of suicide risk.

Effect of interactive vs. passive virtual reality on pain threshold and tolerance

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliann Saquib ◽  
Haneen A. AlMohaimeed ◽  
Sally A. AlOlayan ◽  
Nora A. AlRebdi ◽  
Jana I. AlBulaihi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Interactive Games ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
Order Sequence

Abstract Objectives Scientific evidence suggests that virtual reality (VR) could potentially help patients tolerate painful medical procedures and conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality on pain tolerance and threshold. Methods A within-subjects experimental study design was conducted on 53 female students at Qassim University in Saudi Arabia. Each participant completed three rounds of assessment: one baseline (no VR) and two VR immersion (passive and interactive) in random order sequence. During each round, participants submerged their non-dominant hand into an ice bath; pain threshold and tolerance were measured as outcomes and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results Participants had both higher pain threshold and tolerance during interactive and passive VR rounds in comparison to the non-VR baseline assessment (p<0.05). Participants had greater pain tolerance during the interactive VR condition compared to the passive VR condition (p<0.001). Conclusions VR experiences increase pain threshold and tolerance with minimal side effects, and the larger effects were demonstrated using interactive games. Interactive VR gaming should be considered and tested as a treatment for pain.

scholarly journals Post-Exercise Recovery Following 30-Day Supplementation of Trans-Resveratrol and Polyphenol-Enriched Extracts

Sports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Jo ◽  
Rachel Bartosh ◽  
Alexandra T. Auslander ◽  
Dean Directo ◽  
Adam Osmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Vastus Lateralis ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Placebo Control ◽  
Post Exercise ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Vastus Intermedius ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Exercise Induced ◽  
Post Exercise Recovery

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 30-day consumption of trans-resveratrol and polyphenol-enriched extracts on indices of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and performance following eccentric-loaded resistance exercise (ECRE). Methods: Following 30 days of resveratrol-polyphenol (RES) (n = 10) or placebo control (CTL) (n = 12) supplementation, subjects performed a bout of ECRE to induce EIMD. EIMD biomarkers, perceived soreness, pain threshold and tolerance, range of motion, and performance were measured before and 24 and 48 h after ECRE. Results: CTL subjects demonstrated increased soreness at 24 (p = 0.02) and 48 h (p = 0.03) post-ECRE, while RES subjects reported increased soreness at 24 h post-ECRE (p = 0.0003). CTL subjects exhibited decreased pain threshold in the vastus lateralis at 24 h post-ECRE (p = 0.03). CTL subjects also displayed decreased pain tolerance in the vastus intermedius at 24 h post-ECRE (p = 0.03) and the vastus lateralis at 24 (p = 0.003) and 48 h (p = 0.003). RES participants showed no change in pain threshold or tolerance from baseline. CTL subjects showed a decrease in mean (p = 0.04) and peak power (p = 0.04) at 24 h post-ECRE, while RES participants demonstrated no changes from baseline. No between-group differences were observed for the changes in serum creatine kinase. Serum C-reactive protein increased similarly in both groups at 24 h post-ECRE (p < 0.002), remaining elevated in CTL subjects while RES participants demonstrated a decline from 24 to 48 h (p = 0.04). Serum interleukin 6 increased at 24 h post-ECRE in both groups (p < 0.003) followed by a decrease from 24 to 48 h, returning to baseline levels only for RES subjects. Conclusion: Trans-resveratrol and polyphenol-enriched extract supplementation may support the attenuation of soreness and inflammation and improve performance recovery following ECRE without modulation of indirect biomarkers of EIMD.

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