1. Anger suppression predicts pain, emotional, and cardiovascular responses to the cold pressor.
- Author
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Quartana PJ, Bounds S, Yoon KL, Goodin BR, and Burns JW
- Subjects
- Anxiety physiopathology, Cold Temperature, Emotions physiology, Female, Heart Rate physiology, Humans, Male, Pain psychology, Pain Measurement, Young Adult, Anger physiology, Blood Pressure physiology, Pain physiopathology, Repression, Psychology
- Abstract
Background: Manipulated anger suppression has been shown to heighten pain and anger responses to pain., Purpose: We examined whether individual differences in self-reported anger suppression predicted pain, anger, and blood pressure responses to acute pain., Methods: Healthy participants (N = 47) underwent an anger-provoking speech task followed by a cold pressor pain task. Participants reported their degree of suppression of thoughts and feelings related to the speech. Pain intensity ratings were obtained throughout the cold pressor. Self-reported anger, anxiety and positive emotion, as well as ratings of sensory, general distress, and anger-specific elements of pain were obtained following the cold pressor. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded throughout., Results: Self-reported suppression predicted greater pain intensity ratings, perception of sensory and anger-specific elements of pain, and self-reported anger in response to the cold pressor. Associations between self-reported suppression and pain intensity and ratings of anger-specific elements of pain were statistically mediated by pain-induced changes in self-reported anger, whereas the effect of suppression on sensory pain ratings was not. Self-reported suppression was also correlated inversely with SBP responses to the cold pressor., Conclusions: Consistent with an ironic process model and prior studies involving experimental manipulation of suppression, self-reported suppression of anger predicted greater pain intensity and perception of the anger-specific element of pain. Findings also suggest that suppression might attenuate homeostatic pressor responses to acute pain.
- Published
- 2010
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