Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, 351 95 Växjö, Sweden.
Helsa Vårdcentral, Osby, Sweden, Phone: +46772 28 80 00, Fax: +46470 832 17.
Scand J Pain. 2020 Jul 28;20(3):611-621. doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2019-0141.
Background and aims Previous research on pain and cognition has largely focused on non-social cognitive outcomes (e.g. attention, problem solving). This study examines the relationship between pain and stereotyping, which constitutes a fundamental dimension of social cognition. Drawing on dual process theories of cognition, it was hypothesized that higher levels of pain would increase stereotyped judgments based on ethnicity and age. The hypothesis was tested in conjunction with experimentally induced pain (Study 1) and clinical pain (Study 2). Methods In Study 1, experimental pain was induced with the cold pressor method on a between-subjects basis. Participants (n = 151) completed a judgment task that assessed to what extent they relied on stereotypes (ethnic and age) when estimating other people's cognitive performance. In Study 2, 109 participants with clinical, musculoskeletal pain completed the same stereotype judgment task. Correlations between stereotyped judgments and various pain qualities (intensity, interference with daily activities, duration, and persistence) were performed. Results In Study 1, pain induced participants did not form significantly more stereotyped judgments compared to pain-free participants. However, higher reported pain intensity was associated with more ethnically stereotyped judgments. In Study 2, there were no significant correlations between different aspects of clinical pain and stereotyped judgments. Conclusions The results provide weak support for the hypothesis that pain increases stereotyped judgments. This was the case for both experimentally induced pain and clinical pain. The present study is the first to investigate the link between pain and stereotyping, suggesting that stereotypical judgments may be a social cognitive outcome that is relatively unaffected by pain. Implications The results have practical implications for the clinic, for example, where chronic pain patients may not have greater difficulties interacting with health care professionals that are members of a stereotyped social group (e.g. ethnic).
先前关于疼痛和认知的研究主要集中在非社交认知结果上（例如注意力、解决问题）。本研究考察了疼痛与刻板印象之间的关系，刻板印象构成了社会认知的基本维度。本研究借鉴认知的双重加工理论，假设更高水平的疼痛会增加基于种族和年龄的刻板判断。该假设在结合实验性疼痛（研究 1）和临床疼痛（研究 2）进行了检验。
在研究 1 中，采用冷压法在被试间的基础上诱发实验性疼痛。参与者（n=151）完成了一项判断任务，评估他们在多大程度上依赖刻板印象（种族和年龄）来估计他人的认知表现。在研究 2 中，109 名患有临床肌肉骨骼疼痛的参与者完成了相同的刻板印象判断任务。进行了刻板印象判断与各种疼痛质量（强度、对日常活动的干扰、持续时间和持久性）之间的相关性分析。
在研究 1 中，与无疼痛参与者相比，诱发疼痛的参与者并没有形成明显更多的刻板印象判断。然而，报告的疼痛强度越高，与种族刻板印象判断的相关性越强。在研究 2 中，临床疼痛的不同方面与刻板印象判断之间没有显著相关性。
结果仅为假设提供了微弱的支持，即疼痛会增加刻板印象判断。这在实验性疼痛和临床疼痛中都是如此。本研究首次调查了疼痛与刻板印象之间的联系，表明刻板印象判断可能是一种相对不受疼痛影响的社会认知结果。
研究结果对临床实践具有实际意义，例如，慢性疼痛患者在与刻板印象社会群体（例如种族）中的医疗保健专业人员互动时可能不会遇到更大的困难。
