The Effect of Induced Optimism on Situational Pain Catastrophizing

Abstract

Background: There is broad evidence that optimism is associated with less pain, while pain catastrophizing leads to increased pain. The aim of this study was to examine whether experimentally induced optimism can reduce situational pain catastrophizing and whether this relation is moderated by dispositional optimism and/or dispositional pain catastrophizing.

Methods: Situational pain catastrophizing during two thermal stimulations was measured in 40 healthy participants with the Situational Catastrophizing Questionnaire (SCQ). Between the two stimulations, the Best Possible Self (BPS) imagery and writing task was performed to induce situational optimism in the experimental group while the control group wrote about their typical day. Questionnaires were administered to assess dispositional optimism [Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R)] and dispositional pain catastrophizing [Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)].

Results: There was a significant interaction between the optimism induction and trait pain catastrophizing: the association of trait pain catastrophizing with state pain catastrophizing was weakened after the optimism induction. No overall effect of induced optimism on situational pain catastrophizing and no significant moderating influence of trait optimism were found.

Conclusion: The state optimism induction apparently counteracted the manifestation of dispositional pain catastrophizing as situational pain catastrophizing. This implies that high trait pain catastrophizers may have especially benefitted from the optimism induction, which is in line with resilience models stressing the buffering role of optimism.

Keywords: optimism; pain; pain catastrophizing; positive psychology; resilience.

Figure 1

General protocol of the experiment. LOT-R, Life Orientation Test-Revised Version; PCS, Pain Catastrophizing Scale; FEX, Future Expectancies Scale; PANAS, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule; and SCQ, Situational Catastrophizing Questionnaire.

Figure 2

Mean score of overall situational pain catastrophizing (SCQ) depending on experimental condition and time of measurement. Error bars = −1 SD. TD, typical day and BPS, Best Possible Self.

Figure 3

Regression of change in situational pain catastrophizing (post minus pre difference) on dispositional pain catastrophizing (PCS score). Estimated SCQ values at means (M) and plus/minus two SDs of PCS score are indicated by vertical lines. Positive values indicate an increase in SCQ from the pre to the post measurement, while negative values indicate a decrease. BPS, Best Possible Self (experimental group). TD, Typical Day (control group). SCQ, Situational Catastrophizing Questionnaire. PCS, Pain Catastrophizing Scale.