Previous studies have demonstrated a relation between dispositional optimism and lower pain sensitivity, but the causal status of this link remains unclear. This study sought to test the causal status by experimentally inducing a temporary optimistic state by means of writing about and visualizing a future best possible self. In addition, we explored pain expectations and (situational) pain catastrophizing as possible underlying mechanisms of the link between optimism and pain. Seventy-nine university students participated in a cold pressor task (CPT). Before the CPT, half of them received the optimism manipulation and the other half a control manipulation. Induced optimism was related to lower pain intensity ratings during the CPT compared to the control group, thereby experimentally confirming causality. This effect was not explained by pain-related expectations about the task. Situational pain catastrophizing, however, did seem to mediate the relation between optimism and pain. This study is novel in that it confirms the causal status of optimism towards pain. Additionally, the results reveal that positive interventions might provide a useful alternative in reducing pain catastrophizing as an extremely relevant target in pain treatment.

Coping with the demands of pain diminishes self-regulatory capacity and causes self-regulatory fatigue, which then leads to deteriorated executive task performance. It has been suggested that optimism can counteract the depletion of self-regulatory capacity. This study employed a 2 (optimism/no optimism)×2 (pain/no pain) between-subjects design to explore whether (1) experimentally induced pain (cold pressor task) deteriorates subsequent executive task performance, and (2) whether an optimism induction can counteract this sustained deteriorating effect of pain on executive task performance. Results indicated that although pain led to significantly worse performance on the executive functioning task in the no optimism condition, this sustained deteriorating effect of pain on task performance was abolished in the optimism condition. This finding is imperative because it suggests that optimism may be an important factor to implement in current psychological treatment approaches to diminish the negative impact of chronic pain on the ability to function in daily life.

No abstract

Three fundamental fears - anxiety sensitivity (AS), injury/illness sensitivity (IS) and fear of negative evaluation (FNE) - have been proposed to underlie common fears and psychopathological conditions. In pain research, the relation between AS and (chronic) pain processes was the subject of several studies, whereas the possible role of IS has been ignored. The current research examines the role of IS with respect to various pain-related variables in two studies. In the first study, 192 healthy college students completed the Sensitivity Index (SI; a composite measure assessing the three fundamental fears) and various pain-related questionnaires. In a second study, 60 students out of the original sample took part in a pain induction procedure and completed the SI as well. We first examined the properties of the SI. Factor analysis on the SI replicated the proposed factor structure [Taylor S. The structure of fundamental fears, J Behav Ther Exp Psychiat 1993;24:289-99]. However, some items of the ASI did show problematic loadings and were therefore excluded in subsequent analyses. The main hypothesis of the current study states that IS is a stronger predictor than AS of pain catastrophizing and fear of pain as assessed by self-report measures, and of pain tolerance and anticipatory fear of pain as assessed in a pain induction study. This hypothesis could be confirmed for all variables, except for pain tolerance, which was not predicted by any of the three fundamental fears. The current study can be considered as an impetus for devoting attention to IS in future pain research.

No abstract