| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of the proposed investigation was to provide empirical evidence of a pain
schema. The effect of various durations of pain experienced on pain schema
development was explored. Fifty-one pain patients were recruited from the university
community, the Thunder Bay community, and area hospitals. Pain patients were divided
into three groups based on pain duration. In addition, sixteen healthy control subjects
were recruited from the Thunder Bay community. Each participant completed a free
recall task. We hypothesized that patients who had suffered chronic pain syndromes the
longest would demonstrate a greater recall bias toward pain-related stimuli. Results
failed to support the hypothesis. There were no differences found across pain groups in
the number or percentage of pain words recalled. However, pain patients did
demonstrate more cognitive bias towards pain-related stimuli overall compared to control
participants. Results clearly provide support for the existence of a pain-related self-schema
in pain patients. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed in relation
to the prevention, assessment, and management of chronic pain. | |
