DRAMA-INDUCED AFFECT AND PAIN SENSITIVITY

This study was conducted to examine the pain-ameliorating and pain-sen sitizing effects of exposure to emotionally engaging drama. Specifical ly, the consequences for pain sensitivity of exposure to dramatic expo sitions differing in both excitatory and hedonic qualities were determ ined. Hedonically negative, neutral, and positive affective states wer e induced in male respondents by exposure to excerpts from cinematic d rama. Pain sensitivity was assessed by the cuff-pressure procedure bef ore and after exposure and by the cold presser test after exposure onl y. When compared against the control condition, pain sensitivity dimin ished under conditions of hedonically positive affect. An inverse effe ct was suggested for hedonically negative conditions, but proved tenta tive and statistically unreliable. The findings are consistent with ea rlier demonstrations of mood effects on pain sensitivity. Unlike incon clusive earlier findings concerning the magnitude of directional effec ts, however, they suggest an asymmetry that emphasizes the pain-amelio rating effect of positive affects while lending little, if any, suppor t to the proposal of a pain-sensitizing effect of negative affects. Th e investigation did not accomplish the intended creation of conditions necessary to test the proposal that heightened sympathetic activity d iminishes pain sensitivity. The utility of a rigorous determination of this hypothesized relationship is emphasized, and procedures for a vi able test of the proposal are suggested.