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The cognitive-behavioral theory of health anxiety predicts atypical responses in health anxious individuals when exposed to health related information. Systematic research is still needed to support the theory. This investigation examined 192 participants varying in subclinical levels of health anxiety, who were randomly given feedback on an ostensible diagnostic measure, indicating positive, negative or ambiguous risk for health complications. Responses to a cold pressor task were then measured. The results indicated that regardless of the type of feedback patients were given, health anxious individuals displayed the predicted cognitive (e.g. negatively interpreted information) and behavioral responses (e.g. increased reassurance seeking). Important and perhaps central cognitions to health anxiety were identified. Health anxious individuals regarded themselves to be at greater risk for disease overall, and attached greater accuracy to health related information. Extending the cognitive-behavioural theory, health anxiety was found to be associated with decreased usage of positive somatic monitoring of symptoms, suggesting health anxiety may be associated with a failure to engage in protective strategies. Health anxiety did not result in cognitive or behavioural avoidance of illness information. Clinical implications and future directions for research are described.

A cream containing the anesthetics lidocaine and prilocaine may prevent much of the pain experienced during circumcision. Of 68 newborn boys, 38 had lidocaine-prilocaine cream applied to their penis for an hour before circumcision and 30 received a cream containing a placebo. Compared to the infants in the placebo group, the infants in the lidocaine-prilocaine group appeared to experience less pain as measured by their facial expressions and the amount of time they cried. They also experienced smaller increases in heart rate during the procedure.

Previous research led to the conclusion that patient characteristics such as physical attractiveness and non-verbal expressiveness affected judgements of patient pain and distress. This study investigated whether this represents an intrusive bias or whether there indeed are psychological differences between physically attractive vs physically unattractive and expressive vs inexpressive pain patients. The findings led to the conclusion that both variables are related to the types of coping strategies pain patients use. Specifically, physically attractive and nonverbally expressive patients were found to be less likely to utilize passive coping strategies. Coping style also was found to be related to demographic characteristics of the patients. Theoretical reasons for the identified relationships are discussed as are the implications of these findings for the assessment of pain. Key words - physical attractiveness, pain, non-verbal expressiveness

There are only two verses in the deuteronomistic history where the narrator states that God responds to an individual's question with silence, I Samuel 14:37 and 28:6, leading to the conclusion that these verses form a narrative frame. Saul is asking the questions and the idea of a king unable to obtain answers indicates a theme of decline. Moreover, the interrogative form serves rhetorical functions as well. Various narrative images such as the famished people also point to the king seeking information. The questions also reveal the speakers by showing their strengths and weaknesses.

Despite strong suppositions concerning differences between patients suffering acute and chronic low back pain, relatively few data-based comparisons have been made. In this study, affective, cognitive, behavioral, and demographic contrasts were conducted. Chronic patients were divided into those who demonstrated signs and symptoms that were either congruent or incongruent with underlying anatomical and physiological principles. Low socioeconomic status, compensation claims, use of opiate analgesics, greater disability, catastrophizing cognitions, stronger emotionality, and passive coping were more characteristic of both acute and chronic incongruent patients than chronic congruent patients. A relatively stereotyped, spontaneous facial expression of pain was observed in all groups when responding to painful movements during a physical examination. The similarities between acute and chronic incongruent patients have implications for the assessment and treatment of low back pain.

The process of discriminating among genuine, suppressed, and faked expressions of pain was examined. Untrained judges estimated the severity of pain being experienced when viewing video-taped facial expressions of chronic pain patients undergoing a painful diagnostic test or dissimulating reactions. Verbal feedback as to whether pain was experienced also was provided, so as to be either consistent or inconsistent with the facial expression. Judges were able to distinguish genuine pain faces from baseline expressions but, relative to genuine pain faces, attributed more pain to faked faces and less pain to suppressed ones. Advance warning of deception did not improve discrimination but led to a more conservative or nonempathic judging style. Verbal feedback increased or decreased judgments, as appropriate, but facial information consistently was assigned greater weight. An augmenting model of the judgment process that attaches considerable importance to the context in which information is provided was supported.