| Abstract: | This study examined the effects of three variables on perceptions of symptoms associated with chronic low back pain: (a) the presence or absence of supporting medical evidence, (b) the valence (positive/negative) of the relationship of an observer to the person in pain, (c) the degree of control (present/absent) of the person in pain over the circumstances of pain onset. The independent variables were manipulated in a (2 × 2 × 2) within-subjects design. Forty-eight undergraduate subjects were asked to estimate levels of pain intensity, emotional distress, and disability for the person in pain described in each of eight vignettes. Significant main effects, a two-way interaction, and a three-way interaction emerged, indicating that these contextual variables exerted substantial and complex effects on observer perceptions. The implications of these findings are discussed for matters such as pain assessment and disability determination. |
