Lab Report: Cold tolerance and stress balls

Introduction

The aim of this study is to look into the extent of pain tolerance using the specific aspects of pain measurement procedure done in a lab environment .The studies done on pain have mostly focused on where the pain is located, different pain levels and the use of particular terms for the description of pain. In the clinical area, this dimension has been the most common and relevant approach to the study of pain given that when asked about pain experience, patients use location, quality and intensity to describe it. The studies have thus focused on emotional response to such pain which includes depression anxiety, anger, mood changes and irritability. The research has been done in patient suffering from various chronic diseases such as cancer (McGuire, Yarbro & Ferrell, 1995). The study of pain is important since it helps patients to determine the best measurement methods and the most effective analgesics or surgery and other therapies. Its measurement has been done on various pain scales such as visual analogue, numerical pain, pain faces, descriptive pain scales, questioning and palpation. Such scales are used for pain monitoring and thus fostering communication between health care providers and their patients.  The scales have points ranging from 0 to 10 (Jaywant & Pai, 2003).   The various factors that can alter how pain is altered include beliefs and causal attributions, perceptions of pain control, cognitive errors and expectations about pain. Patients may attribute their pain to organic causes or a belief that external factors are controlling it such as other people’s power and luck. Perception of pain control refers to one’s belief of control they have over their health and pain or a belief that external factors can control pain and health. The other factor involves the results expectation referring to belief that a specific behavior can produce specific consequences and self-efficacy expectations referring to a belief in one’s ability to behave in a way that can lead to desired results. Cognitive errors refer to patient’s biases such as personalization, catastrophizing and overgeneralization (Turk & Gatchel, 2002).

Methods

Participants

The participants in the study were recruited from the population of PSY200 students and great emphasis was placed on those individuals who had a history of anxiety and depressive disorder. At baseline, students with current health complication were excluded so that to obtain uniformity of the participants in terms of pain cognition. The sample selected to be involved in the study comprised of 36 participants.

Materials

The research will utilize a thermometer, an insulated container where ice will be put for purpose of the experiment and a stopwatch that will measure the amount of time which will be used in the experimenting on each individual. The measures to be used in this study include pain intensity which will be indicated by the level of stress that an individual will have before the experiment and after the experiment. The level of stress will be measured by a scale of 1 to 10 through the day, both before and after the experiment. An indication of 1 means there is no stress while 10 is most possible stress.

Design and procedure

Study involved a between subjects study design which manipulated one variable. In the process, some participants were given stress balls which they were to squeeze while their words were still in water and the other group was asked not hold the ball while their hands were in water. The procedure involved calling each participant into a separate room to take part. After leaving the room, another comes in so that they become and experimenter and a subject in rotation. Measurements on temperatures were taken using the thermometer, before and after the putting of hands in water. After the experiment the participants were to take a survey where they were to answer question on the 1-10 scales.

References

 

Jaywant ,S., Pai,A.(2003).A comparative study of pain measurement scales in acute burn patients. The Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy: Vol. XXXV(3)

McGuire, D. B., Yarbro, C. H., & Ferrell, B. (1995). Cancer pain management. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.6-7

Turk, D. C., & Gatchel, R. J. (2002). Psychological approaches to pain management: A practitioner's handbook. New York: The Guilford Press. 535