The effect of experimentally altered cognitive appraisal on pain tolerance

Abstract

Tolerance of radiant heat to the forearm was measured under three forms of cognitive appraisal: (1) thinking of the pain as being pleasurable (denial); (2) thinking of the pain as being a protective reaction of sensory nerves (intellectualization);(3) thinking of a blank wall (neutral). Ss were informed that each form of appraisal was endorsed by a different source: (1) an obstetrician, (2) a nurse’s aide, and (3) a grade-nine student. Results indicated denial was significantly superior in raising pain tolerance to both the neutral appraisal as well as intellectualization. Also, the effects of the different cognitive appraisals varied in relation to the sources of endorsement, denial being ineffective when endorsed by the nurse’s aide and intellectualization decreasing tolerance when endorsed by the grade-nine student. Discussion of results centered around the difference of the effects of cognitive appraisal on pain tolerance as compared to the effects on tolerance of experimental threat.