PAIN
Volume 138, Issue 2 , Pages 277-285, 31 August 2008

The effects of parental presence upon the facial expression of pain: The moderating role of child pain catastrophizing☆

  • T. Vervoort

      Affiliations

    • Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
    • Research Institute for Psychology & Health, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Address: Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Tel.: +32 (0)9 264 62 62; fax: +32 (0)9 264 64 89.
    • ,
  • L. Goubert

      Affiliations

    • Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
    • Research Institute for Psychology & Health, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • C. Eccleston

      Affiliations

    • Pain Management Unit, University of Bath, UK
    • ,
  • K. Verhoeven

      Affiliations

    • Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
    • ,
  • A. De Clercq

      Affiliations

    • Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Ghent University, Belgium
    • ,
  • A. Buysse

      Affiliations

    • Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
    • ,
  • G. Crombez

      Affiliations

    • Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
    • Research Institute for Psychology & Health, The Netherlands

Received 25 January 2007; received in revised form 21 November 2007; accepted 19 December 2007. published online 13 February 2008.

Abstract 

This experiment investigated the effects of child catastrophic thinking and parental presence on the facial expressions of children when experiencing pain. School children experienced pressure pain in either one of two conditions: (1) when observed by a parent (n=53 children and their parent), or (2) when observed by an adult stranger (n=31 children). Analyses revealed that children showed more facial pain expression in the presence of their parent than in the presence of the stranger. This effect was, however, only found for children with infrequent catastrophic thoughts about pain. Children who have frequent catastrophic thoughts expressed high pain regardless of who they believed was observing them. Results are discussed in terms of the social consequences of pain catastrophizing, and the variables contributing to the expression or suppression of pain display in children and its impact upon others.

Keywords: Pain catastrophizing, Parental presence, Facial pain expression

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☆ Tine Vervoort is a Ph.D. Student of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium) (F.W.O.). Liesbet Goubert is post-doctoral fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research – Flanders (Belgium) (F.W.O.).

PII: S0304-3959(07)00753-1

doi:10.1016/j.pain.2007.12.013

PAIN
Volume 138, Issue 2 , Pages 277-285, 31 August 2008

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