Date of Graduation

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

Committee Chair

Daniel W. McNeil

Abstract

Research has consistently shown a relation between attention and the experience of pain. Pain disrupts and demands attention, interfering with the ability to direct attention to other stimuli in the environment. Yet, various studies of pain management strategies, including studies which have yielded mixed results for the strategy of distraction, often have not specifically examined the relation of pain management, attention, and pain behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of different pain management strategies and the relation between strategy efficacy and attention in a laboratory pressure pain-induction experiment. Using 96 college undergraduates, the study employed a 4 x 3 mixed design, with a between-subjects variable of strategy instruction (acceptance, distraction, sensory monitoring, and negative affect focus) and a repeated measures variable of pain stimulus intensity. It was predicted that acceptance would result in greater attention to a card task and greater pain tolerance, and attention would be related to pain tolerance. It also was predicted that pain catastrophizing, fear of pain, and anxiety sensitivity would be related to pain behaviors, and that pain management strategy would moderate the relation. Although the study failed to find an effect of pain management strategy on attention or pain behavior, the hypotheses were partly supported as attention was a significant predictor of pain tolerance, especially at a higher level of pain stimulus intensity, R2 = .39. Across pain management strategy conditions, pain stimulus intensity had a significant effect on attention and pain: 4 x 3 ANOVAs revealed that greater stimulus intensity resulted in greater attentional interruption, F (2, 184) = 49.21, p < .001; lowered pain tolerance, F (2, 184) = 13.99, p < .001; higher values of verbally reported pain, F (2, 184) = 18.90, p < .001; and a larger increase in heart rate, F (2, 184) = 8.34, p < .001. As in previous research with acute and chronic pain, attention and pain behavior were significantly related. These results also provide support for studies suggesting stimulus intensity greatly affects the ability of a pain stimulus to interrupt attention, as well as replicate findings from previous research in which the most salient and aversive stimuli dominated pain responding. The effects of pain stimulus intensity on pain and attention and the relation of attention and pain tolerance are discussed.

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