Predictors of Responses to Acute Pain

Abstract

Demographic, global, and situational variables hypothesized to moderate responses to acute pain were examined. Subjects completed measures of social desirability, trait and state anxiety, cognitive rigidity-flexibility, general and situational coping expectations, coping style and situational coping, major and minor stressors, and history of pain. Gender, self-efficacy for tolerating pain, and hassles predicted tolerance times. Age, social desirability, self-efficacy for regulating intensity of pain, and cognitive coping predicted ratings of intensity. Results underscore demographic differences in responsiveness to pain and the situational moderation of acute pain. Implications for the management of acute clinical pain are discussed.