Background & Aims
Humans have evolved a sense of fairness to facilitate continued cooperation. Unfair procedures are regarded as norm violations and are associated with negative emotions, which can lead to negative clinical outcomes in patients. While cognitive, emotional, and social factors have been recognized as modulators of pain perception, the specific influence of fairness on pain experience remains underexamined. This study aims to examine the impact of fairness on pain experience by comparing levels of perceived unfairness, intensity, and unpleasantness of identical pain stimuli presented in different fairness contexts.
Methods
A total of 40 participants were instructed to play a dot estimation task (DET) with another participant (a confederate). We manipulated unfair contexts by one’s DET performance and the application of pain stimuli using calibrated pinpricks. In fair conditions, participants received pain either individually for their incorrectness or collectively with the confederate for mutual errors. In unfair conditions, participants received pain stimuli despite correct responses or received pain while the confederate did not, even when both were incorrect. Participants observed the performance and pain application of themselves and the confederate. Perceived intensity and unpleasantness of pain stimuli, and perceived unfairness of conditions were rated on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
Results
Perceived unfairness was influenced by both the individual’s and confederate’s DET performance, as well as the application of pain to the confederate while participants were receiving the pain stimuli. Participants perceived more unfairness in conditions where they received pain without imputation or experienced a sole disadvantage. Also, they perceived the pain stimuli as more painful and unpleasant during these unfair conditions.
Conclusions
Our findings reveal that the experience of pain can be affected by a sense of unfairness. They provide insights into the interplay between social factors and pain experience, highlighting the importance of fairness in shaping the subjective experience of pain. The findings contribute to our understanding of the psychological aspects of pain and may have implications for clinical contexts.
References
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Barclay, Laurie J., Daniel P. Skarlicki, and S. Douglas Pugh. “Exploring the role of emotions in injustice perceptions and retaliation.” Journal of applied psychology 90.4 (2005): 629
Yakobov, Esther, et al. “Trait perceived injustice is associated with pain intensity and pain behavior in participants undergoing an experimental pain induction procedure.” The Journal of Pain 20.5 (2019): 592-599.
Villemure, Chantal, and M. Catherine Bushnell. “Cognitive modulation of pain: how do attention and emotion influence pain processing?.” Pain 95.3 (2002): 195-199.
Nicolardi, Valentina, et al. “Pain perception during social interactions is modulated by self-related and moral contextual cues.” Scientific Reports 10.1 (2020): 1-12.
Presenting Author
Da-Eun Yoon
Poster Authors
Topics
- Lifestyle Issues: Sleep/Diet/Exercise/Social Interactions