OBSERVER PERCEPTIONS OF LOW-BACK-PAIN - EFFECTS OF PAIN REPORT AND OTHER CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

This study examined the impact of reported pain level (low vs. high) a nd three other contextual factors on observers' perceptions of the sym ptoms and personality of persons with chronic low back pain. In additi on to pain level, the availability of medical evidence, the valence of the relationship between the observer and the person in pain, and the amount of control the person in pain had over circumstances of pain o nset were varied in a 2 x (2 x 2 x 2) mixed experimental design. Eight y undergraduate subjects read descriptions of hypothetical persons wit h chronic low back pain and then estimated the amount of pain, disabil ity, and emotional distress they would expect the person to manifest. Subjects also described the target person's personality using 10 seman tic differential scales. Significant main effects for medical evidence , relationship valence, and control emerged for personality ratings of adjustment, character, and judgment. Main effects emerged for medical evidence, relationship valence, and pain level on ratings of pain, di sability, and distress. Significant two-way, three-way, and four-way i nteractions also were found for symptom ratings. The results indicate that perceptions of chronic pain are sensitive to contextual factors, potentially biasing the assessment of persons with pain as a primary c omplaint.