Researchers have found that people discount the pain of people they do not like, according to a study published in the October 2011 issue of Pain.
Through an evaluative conditioning procedure, researchers combined images of patients with positive, negative or neutral personal traits. The observers rated the pain of each patient after seeing videos of the patients presenting with varying levels of pain.
The researchers found lower pain estimations and lower perceptual sensitivity toward pain for the patients who were associated with negative traits. The difference in pain estimation was only true for high-level pain.
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Through an evaluative conditioning procedure, researchers combined images of patients with positive, negative or neutral personal traits. The observers rated the pain of each patient after seeing videos of the patients presenting with varying levels of pain.
The researchers found lower pain estimations and lower perceptual sensitivity toward pain for the patients who were associated with negative traits. The difference in pain estimation was only true for high-level pain.
Related Articles About Pain:
Study: Hippocampus Suppresses Pain During Stress
Researchers: Variations in Pain Perception Linked to Genes
Study: Psychological Interventions Can Alleviate Chronic Pain