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Cited by 121Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationPain Management and Placebo EffectPediatric Pain Management Techniques

Personality factors in the explanation of sex differences in pain catastrophizing and response to experimental pain

Thorn, Beverly E., Clements, Kristi L., Ward, L. Charles, Dixon, Kim E., Kersh, Brian C., Boothby, Jennifer L., Chaplin, William F.·2004·The Clinical Journal of Pain
DOI 10.1097/00002508-200409000-00001
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of personality and pain catastrophizing upon pain tolerance and pain ratings and to examine the impact of an experimental pain induction on subsequent ratings of catastrophizing. METHOD: Two hundred nineteen college students participated in a cold pressor task. Sex-differentiating personality constructs were measured by the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale was given before and after the cold pressor task. RESULTS: A path-analytic model fit the data well and permitted tests of explanatory relationships. Mediational analyses demonstrated that sex differences in catastrophizing were explained by the Personal Attributes Questionnaire Masculinity-Femininity and Verbal Passive-Aggressiveness scales. Pain tolerance and pain ratings differed significantly between men and women, but Masculinity-Femininity partially mediated those sex-pain relationships. Additionally, higher pain ratings and lower pain tolerance were independently associated with increased catastrophizing after the cold pressor task. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that sex differences in catastrophizing and pain responsivity are partially accounted for by the dispositional tendency to describe oneself as emotionally vulnerable. The findings also suggest that pain catastrophizing may be situational as well as dispositional.

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Crossref · 10.1097/00002508-200409000-00001

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32 of 32 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Pain-specific expectations influence treatment outcomes for several active interventions including surgery, opioid analgesics, and acupuncture.

    “Such expectations have been shown to influence treatment outcomes for a number of active interventions including surgery, opioid analgesics, and acupuncture 360–363.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [360]

  • Pain-specific expectations play a role in the effectiveness of both active treatments and placebo.

    “Pain-specific expectations also play a role in the effectiveness of both active treatments and placebo.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [360]

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Authors
Thorn, B. E., Clements, K. L., Ward, L. C., Dixon, K. E., Kersh, B. C., Boothby, J. L., & Chaplin, W. F.
Affiliations
  • University of Alabama (US)
  • Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (US)
  • Veterans Health Administration (US)
  • Indiana State University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Thorn, Beverly E.
  • Clements, Kristi L.
  • Dixon, Kim E.
  • Chaplin, William F.
ORCID
Venue
The Clinical Journal of Pain
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2004
Volume
20
Issue
5
Pages
275-282
ISSN
0749-8047 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/00002508-200409000-00001
OpenAlex
W2092446509
Cited by
121
References
32
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 8
FWCI
4.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Clinical Journal of Pain (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric Pain Management Techniques
Keywords
pain catastrophizing, sex differences, personality, pain tolerance, pain scores, cold pressor task, masculinity and femininity, emotional vulnerability
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Cold Temperature, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Psychological, Pain, Pain Measurement, Personality, Personality Assessment, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sex Characteristics, Chi-Square Distribution, Pain Threshold

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