Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology

Psychologists uncover evidence of a fundamental pain bias

by Mane Kara-Yakoubian
July 29, 2022
in Social Psychology
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay on top of the latest psychology findings: Subscribe now!

People believe they report their pain accurately while holding the paradoxical belief that others exaggerate it. A study published in The Journal of Pain refers to this phenomenon as the fundamental pain bias.

There is a prevalent belief that people exaggerate their pain. This has implications in healthcare, such as healthcare providers underestimating or disagreeing with patient reports. This belief may be further enhanced when there are concerns about malingering and drug-seeking. Women and racialized individuals receive a disproportionate amount of skepticism, which has implications for their pain treatment.

In this work, Brandon L. Boring and colleagues examine two research questions. First, do people over-report their pain? Second, what are people’s thoughts on how others report pain?

Study 1 recruited 92 undergraduate participants who completed questionnaires assessing normative pain reporting behavior. This included questions such as “When you go to the doctor’s office and are asked to report how much pain you are feeling, what do you normally do?” with three options corresponding to selecting a number lower than their experienced pain, actual pain, or greater pain.

Using these options, they also responded to questions assessing what they believed a person normally reports when asked to rate their pain. Next, participants read four hypothetical vignettes for which they were instructed to imagine themselves reporting their pain to a doctor or dentist in an outpatient or surgical setting, using the same response options.

A fifth vignette providing a more detailed description of the participant visiting a doctor for abdominal pain was also presented. Participants were told to imagine their pain was at a 5 (moderate), and were then asked how they would actually report it. They concluded the study by providing demographic information.

Boring and colleagues found that people were unlikely to over-report their pain, challenging the widespread belief that pain reports are exaggerated. In fact, people were more likely to under-report their pain in clinical settings. Surgical contexts encouraged modulation of pain reports in the direction of over-reporting.

Further, people endorsed the belief that others provide higher ratings of pain compared to themselves. In exploring demographic differences, the researchers found that women and Latin American participants had a greater likelihood of under- (vs. over-) reporting their pain.

Study 2 recruited 248 residents of the United States on TurkPrime. A minimum quota of 100 individuals was specified for Latin Americans, as the purpose of Study 2 was to provide a more statistically powered replication of Study 1, while recruiting a more representative sample.

The researchers once again found that participants reported their pain as-is in clinical settings, while endorsing that others over-report it. Modulation was context-dependent, with over-reporting being more likely in surgical (but not outpatient) settings. Men had a greater likelihood of over- (vs. under-) reporting pain to dentists. There were no overall differences between men and women in pain reporting.

Further, Latin and White Americans were equally likely to report their pain as-is to a doctor and dentist. However, Latin Americans were more likely to over-report their pain in surgical contexts. Lastly, men (vs. women) were more likely to hold the belief that others exaggerate their pain.

Differences in findings between the two studies may be explained by the more representative and larger sample, as well as older mean age, in Study 2.

The authors note, “assessing the pain reporting behaviors and beliefs among groups not represented in this sample but that also face systemic discrimination is vital for clarifying reporting and countering mechanisms that contribute to pain disparities.”

The research, “Over-Rating Pain is Overrated: A Fundamental Self-Other Bias in Pain Reporting Behavior”, was authored by Brandon L. Boring, Brandon W. Ng, Namrata Nanavaty, and Vani A. Mathur.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin2ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

A surprising body part might provide key insights into schizophrenia risk
Machiavellianism

Massive psychology study reveals disturbing truths about Machiavellian leaders

July 11, 2025

For employees working under a manipulative boss, the damage is clear: lower job satisfaction and higher burnout. A study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior confirms this toxic impact, yet reveals these leaders aren't always penalized for their destructive behavior.

Read moreDetails
Psychopathic tendencies may be associated with specific hormonal patterns
Psychopathy

Psychopathic tendencies may be associated with specific hormonal patterns

July 10, 2025

What if the roots of psychopathy could be traced in our blood? New research is looking beyond psychology and into our endocrine system. A new study suggests hormones like cortisol and testosterone may hold important clues to a person's manipulative and impulsive tendencies.

Read moreDetails
Testosterone shifts political preferences in weakly affiliated Democratic men, study finds
Political Psychology

Testosterone shifts political preferences in weakly affiliated Democratic men, study finds

July 10, 2025

What if the key to swaying a swing voter lies in their biology? New research found giving testosterone to weakly affiliated Democratic men made them less loyal to their party and more open to Republicans, revealing a potential hormonal link to political persuasion.

Read moreDetails
Bullshit is deemed more credible if attributed to a scientist, compared to a spiritual guru
Social Psychology

Scientists who relocate more often start Nobel research up to two years earlier

July 8, 2025

A new study of Nobel Prize winners suggests that scientists who change locations or work in multiple places tend to begin their groundbreaking research earlier, highlighting how exposure to diverse environments may help spark innovative, high-impact ideas.

Read moreDetails
The most popular dementia videos on TikTok tend to have the lowest quality, study find
Addiction

People with short-video addiction show altered brain responses during decision-making

July 8, 2025

People who frequently use short-video apps like TikTok may show reduced loss sensitivity and impulsive decision-making, according to a new neuroimaging study that links addictive use patterns to changes in brain activity during risky choices.

Read moreDetails
People with psychopathic traits fail to learn from painful outcomes
Narcissism

National narcissism linked to emotional impairments and dehumanization, new study finds

July 7, 2025

A new study suggests that people who see their nation as uniquely important often struggle with recognizing emotions and experience more anger and contempt—factors that may help explain why they’re more likely to dehumanize both outsiders and fellow citizens.

Read moreDetails
Anxious and avoidant attachment are elevated among individuals with eating disorders
Developmental Psychology

Personality may be a key factor connecting negative parenting experiences to adult challenges

July 7, 2025

New research finds a link between how adults recall being parented and their current life difficulties. These challenges may be partly explained by personality traits, such as lower conscientiousness, that are connected to early family environments and adult well-being.

Read moreDetails
Loneliness predicts an increase in TV viewing for older women, but not for men
Sexism

New study finds link between sexism and denial of male victimhood in relationships

July 6, 2025

New research shows that many people endorse myths that minimize abuse against men in relationships. These myths are closely tied to sexist attitudes about masculinity, gender roles, and who is believed to be a “real” victim of violence.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Neuroscientists shed new light on how heroin disrupts prefrontal brain function

New research identifies four distinct health pathways linked to Alzheimer’s disease

A surprising body part might provide key insights into schizophrenia risk

Religious belief linked to lower anxiety and better sleep in Israeli Druze study

A common vegetable may counteract brain changes linked to obesity

Massive psychology study reveals disturbing truths about Machiavellian leaders

Dementia: Your lifetime risk may be far greater than previously thought

Psychopathic tendencies may be associated with specific hormonal patterns

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy