Some Personality Factors Associated with Placebo Responsivity

1965 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 555-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna M. Gelfand ◽  
Sidney Gelfand ◽  
Max W. Rardin

The effects on placebo responsivity of Ss' self-esteem, social desirability, authoritarianism, and religious belief and behavior were studied in an experimental procedure involving measures of threshold and tolerance of pain induced by ultrasonic stimulation. Both the religiosity scores and scores on one social desirability test were significantly positively related to pain tolerance placebo measures, but no personality variable was related to pain threshold placebo scores. This relationship of personality factors with tolerance but not with threshold measures supports the hypothesis that pain threshold is more highly loaded with physiological than with psychological components whereas pain tolerance is more highly loaded with psychological than physiological components.

1978 ◽  
Vol 47 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1155-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunio Shiomi

Testing 56 Japanese undergraduates, the relationships between pain threshold and pain tolerance in cold water and personality factors were investigated. Significant negative correlations of moderate magnitude between the pain threshold and scores on Maudsley Neuroticism and the Manifest Anxiety Scale were found. On the contrary, significant positive, moderate correlations between pain tolerance and the Maudsley Extraversion were obtained.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Udnesseter Lie ◽  
Bendik Winsvold ◽  
Johannes Gjerstad ◽  
Dagfinn Matre ◽  
Linda M. Pedersen ◽  
...  

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.


2009 ◽  
pp. 7-30
Author(s):  
Andrea Bobbio ◽  
Anna Maria Manganelli ◽  
Valentina Filippini

- The aim of the study is to propose the Italian version of the multifactor resistance to change scale (RTC) developed by Oreg (2003), and to examine its psychometric properties. The research was conducted via self-administered questionnaires on a group of 324 adults, men and women, currently employed. Correlations were computed between RTC and measures of personality factors (Big Five), sensation seeking, need for cognitive closure, emotional control, cognitive abilities, and political orientation. Then, the correlation between RTC and social desirability was computed. Moreover, differences in RTC scores between sub-groups with a different amount of change experiences were analysed. Finally, via multiple regression analysis, the best predictors of RTC were identified. RTC factorial structure, made up of four first-order factors and a single second-order factor, was supported by confirmatory factor analysis results. The internal consistency was also acceptable. RTC measure was negatively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability and openness (Big Five), sensation seeking, and emotional control. The correlation between RTC and need for cognitive closure was high and positive. The correlation between RTC and social desirability was week and negative, and no correlations at all resulted between RTC, cognitive ability and political orientation. Participants with a high number of change experiences had a lower RTC scores when compared with those with a low number of change experiences. Finally, need for cognitive closure was the most important predictor of resistance to change score.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Stephens ◽  
Olly May Robertson

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.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Pratik Akhani ◽  
Samir Mendpara ◽  
Bhupendra Palan

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.


Author(s):  
Natalia Gerasimova ◽  
Inna Gerasymova

The article reviews the current state of studying the problem of interpersonal conflict as a factor in adaptation, characterized by consideration of the relationship of these categories on two levels: intrapersonal conflict is studied as a driving force, a source of self-in the process of adaptation and as a leading indicator of complications adaptation. It is determined that the impact of interpersonal conflict in the course of adaptation depends on self-identity in a complex interaction of external (socially determined) and internal (individual personality) factors. It is indicated that psychological content intrapersonal conflict experiences have a high degree of individual differentiation and thus determine the uniqueness of perception and interpretation of a specific person. An indicator of the transition from one level to another intrapersonal difficulties acts vulnerability to conflict self-relations context of inner experience. The nature of the adaptation of the student is determined by the internal model and solve interpersonal experiences complications, which are formed in the mind and form the basis of individual experience.


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