Abstract:
There are many factors used to predict pain responsivity. Both psychological and biological factors have been explored at length. The current study seeks to evaluate the unique and combined predictive power of psychological and biological factors on pain responsivity. The primary aims of this study were to 1) explore the unique contributions of primary appraisals (threat/harm and challenge), pain catastrophizing, and emotional vulnerability alongside race and sex to the pain responsivity, and 2) explore the relations between race and sex with pain responsivity, and determine if an interaction exists. Participants included 199 undergraduate students who completed a cold pressor task (CPT) and a battery of questionnaires. Regression analyses indicated that while primary appraisals, catastrophizing, and emotional vulnerability are unique constructs, pain catastrophizing continues to be the strongest, and often only, predictor of pain responsivity. This remained consistent even with the addition of race and sex to the model. MANOVA showed main effects for both race and sex on pain tolerance but no race by sex interaction emerged. Mediation analyses yielded information about the unique relations between the predictors that is worthy of continued exploration. Findings indicate that catastrophizing is not redundant when related to primary appraisal or personality variables and is a unique and important cognitive construct worthy of specific targeting in treatment.
