INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN PERSONALITY AND EMOTION PROCESSING INFLUENCE PERCEPTIONS OF PAINFUL FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
Date
2019-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Previous research has shown systematic racial, gender, and status disparities in pain perception and treatment. Examining how personality and emotion-related factors influence pain perception may shed light on possible approaches that could improve treatment. In Study 1, participants rated face-morphs between neutral and completely painful expressions, and judged how much nonnarcotic analgesic cream each should receive as treatment. Participants then answered a series of personality measures. Subsequent analyses revealed that participants with higher empathic concern scores had lower thresholds for seeing pain on targets, and participants with higher extraversion scores showed less racial bias in pain perception. Participants with higher extraversion and agreeableness scores prescribed more pain reliever overall.
Study 2 had a similar set-up, except participants rated how much pain the target was “feeling” or “expressing”. Analyses revealed that participants with lower race pain sensitivity bias scores and higher total trait empathy scores had lower thresholds for seeing pain on target faces. Participants with higher perspective taking and total trait empathy scores showed less racial bias in pain perception during “feel” judgments. Participants with higher perspective taking and total trait empathy scores showed less racial bias in treatment recommendations. This research highlights the importance of empathy in pain care and treatment and discusses its implications.
Description
Keywords
Psychology, Facial expressions