Abstract
The relationship between individual differences in self-statements and response to self-instruction (SI) and attention diversion (AD) coping strategies for acute pain was investigated. Previous research suggests that an individual's cognitive activity may be an important moderator variable in determining the effectiveness of different coping strategies. Sixty-eight female volunteers were given two cold pressor arm immersions. Subjects were asked to think aloud all thoughts occurring on both trials. On the basis of a median split of negative thinking emitted during the first or baseline trial, subjects were classified as either catastrophizers (CAT) or noncatastrophizers (NCAT). Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either SI or AD treatments or to a no-treatment control condition. Subjects were then given the second cold pressor trial. The results showed that NCAT subjects trained with AD improved their tolerance scores significantly more than those trained with SI. The opposite effect was found for CAT subjects. CAT subjects trained with SI showed greater improvement in tolerance scores than those trained with AD. Implications of these results as well as limitations and methodological features of this study are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barber, T. X., & Hahn, K. (1962). Physiological and subjective responses to pain producing stimulation under hypnotically suggested and waking-imaging analgesia.Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 65 411–418.
Blackwell, R. T., Galassi, M. D., & Watson, T. E. (1985). Are cognitive assessment methods equal? A comparison of think aloud and thought listing.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 9 399–413.
Blitz, B. & Dinnerstein, A. (1971). The role of attentional focus in pain perception: Manipulation of response to noxious stimulation by instruction.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 77 42–45.
Chaves, J. F., & Brown, J. M. (1978, August).Self-generated strategies for the control of pain and stress. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto.
Eifert, G. H., & Lauterbach, W. (1987). The relationship between overt behavior to fear stimulus and self-verbalizations measured by different assessment strategies.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 11 169–183.
Gaugh, H. G. (1956).California Psychological Inventory. Palo Alto, CA; Consulting Psychologists Press.
Genest, M., Meichenbaum, D., & Turk, D. (1977, November).A cognitive-behavioral approach to the modification of pain. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Atlanta.
Genest, M., & Wood, D. (1979). Talking yourself out of pain: The importance of believing that you can.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 3 23–33.
Hackett, G., & Horan, J. J. (1980). Stress inoculation for pain: What's really going on?Journal of Counseling Psychology, 27 107–116.
Horan, J. J., Hackett, G., Buchanan, J. D., Stone, C. I., & Demchik-Stone, D. (1977). Coping with pain: A component analysis of stress inoculation.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1 211–221.
Jaremko, M. E. (1978). Cognitive strategies in the control of pain tolerance.Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 9 239–244.
Kendall, P. C., & Watson, D. (1981). Psychological preparations for stressful medical procedures. In C. K. Prokop & L. A. Bradley (Eds.),Medical psychology: Contributions to behavioral medicine. New York: Academic Press.
Kendall, P. C., Williams, L., Pachacek, T. F., Graham, L. E., Shisslak, C., & Herzoff, N. (1979). Cognitive-behavioral and patient education interventions in cardiac catheterization procedures: The Palo Alto medical psychology project.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47 49–58.
Meichenbaum, D. (1977).Cognitive-behavior modification: An integrative approach. New York: Plenum Press.
Meichenbaum, D., & Cameron, R. (1983). Stress-inoculation training: Toward a general paradigm for training coping skills. In D. Meichenbaum & M. Jaremko (Eds.),Stress reduction and prevention. New York: Plenum Press.
Scott, D. S. (1978). Experimenter suggested cognitions and pain control: The problem of spontaneous strategies.Psychological Reports, 37 122–129.
Scott, D. S., & Barber, T. X. (1977). Cognitive control of pain: Effects of multiple cognitive strategies.Psychological Record, 27 373–383.
Siegal, L. J., & Peterson, L. (1980). Stress reduction in dental patients through coping skills and sensory information.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48 785–787.
Spanos, N. P., Brown, J. M., Jones, B., & Horner, D. (1981). Cognitive activity and suggestions for analgesia in the reduction of reported pain.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 90 751–762.
Spanos, N. P., Horton, C., & Chaves, J. F. (1974). The effects of two cognitive strategies on pain thresholds.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 84 677–681.
Spanos, N. P., Radtke-Bodorik, L. Ferguson, J. D., & Jones, B. (1979). The effects of hypnotic susceptibility, suggestions for analgesia, and the utilization of cognitive strategies on the reduction of pain.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 88 281–292.
Spanos, N. P., Stam, J. H., & Brazil, K. (1981). The effects of suggestion on coping ideation and reported pain.Journal of Mental Imagery, 5 75–90.
Stam. J. H., & Spanos, N. P. (1980). Experimental designs, expectancy effects, and hypnotic analgesia.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89 751–762.
Stone, C. I., Demchik-Stone, D., & Horan, J. J. (1977). A component analysis of Lamaze and cognitive-behavioral procedures.Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 21 451–456.
Tan, S. (1982). Cognitive and cognitive-behavioral methods for pain control: A selected review.Pain, 12 201–228.
Tan, S., & Poser, E. G. (1982). Acute pain in clinical setting: Effects of cognitive-behavioral skills training.Behaviour Research and Therapy, 20 535–545.
Turk, D. C. (1980). Cognitive-behavioral techniques for the control of pain: A skills training manual.Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10 1–27.
Turk, D. C., & Genest, M. (1979). Regulation of pain: The application of cognitive and behavioral techniques for prevention and remediation. In P. C. Kendall & S. D. Hollon (Eds.),Cognitive-behavioral interventions: Therapy, research and practice (pp. 287–318). New York: Academic Press.
Turk, D. C., Meichenbaum, D., & Genest, M. (1982).Pain and behavioral medicine. New York: Guildford Press.
Vallis, T. M. (1984). A complete component analysis of stress inoculation for pain tolerance.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 8 313–329.
Westcott, K. E., & Shipley, R. H. (1983).Coping style and the comparative efficacy of three preventative strategies for a stressful medical procedure. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Baltimore.
Worthington, E. L. (1978). The effects of imagery content, choice of imagery content, and self-verbalizations on the self-control of pain.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 3 225–240.
Worthington, E. L. (1982). Labor room and laboratory: Clinical validation of the cold pressor as a means of testing preparation for childbirth strategies.Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 26 223–231.
Worthington, E. L., & Shumate, M. (1981). Imagery and verbal counseling methods in stress inoculation training for pain control.Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28 1–6.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heyneman, N.E., Fremouw, W.J., Gano, D. et al. Individual differences and the effectiveness of different coping strategies for pain. Cogn Ther Res 14, 63–77 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173525
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173525