THE INFLUENCE OF FILM-INDUCED MOOD ON PAIN PERCEPTION

It has been shown that a person's mood can influence pain tolerance. F ilms have been used as a means of inducing a desired mood. The effect on pain perception of film type and film length to induce mood was inv estigated. Previous research with brief humorous films had not indicat ed any unique advantage of humor over distraction approaches. Other re cent research had indicated that after exposure to film stimulation th ere is a need to wait approximately 40 min before physiological change s can be obtained. Thus, the present study varied both film type and l ength and introduced a 30-min waiting period following the mood induct ion via film prior to exposure to cold-presser pain. Two hundred subje cts in nine different groups participated in the study. Three types of films were used: (1) humorous, (2) holocaust, (3) neutral. Three leng ths of each type were also used: 15 min. 30 min, and 45 min. In additi on, a tenth no-film group served as a control for the effects of a fil m. Each subject was given a baseline trial of cold-presser pain, a tri al immediately following the film and a trial 30 min later. Results in dicated an advantage in increased pain tolerance for the humorous film and an increased pain tolerance for the longer film regardless of typ e only after the 30-min waiting period. Results were discussed from a pain theoretical perspective with emphasis placed on returning to psyc hological manipulations of the sensory aspects of pain and not just th e cognitive/emotional/motivational dimensions. (C) 1998 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.