Abstract
The present study examined the rationale conditions (lecture and practice conditions) needed in order to increase the tolerance time in a cold presser task, replicating the procedure used by Hayes et al. (1999). Adults (7 men, 21 women) were divided randomly into 3 groups, each with a different rationale: A-A group took its rationale from a lecture on the theory of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and brief practice about acceptance; A-F group took a rationale that contained the theory of acceptance and commitment therapy and brief practice about the adverse effects of thought suppression (FEAR); the third group was a placebo group. In the posttest, the A-A and A-F groups showed significantly increased under-standing of the theory of acceptance and commitment therapy. Only the participants in the A-A group showed a significantly greater tolerance of pain, compared to the A-F and Placebo groups. From these results, we concluded that for longer tolerance in a cold presser task, not only knowledge of the theory of acceptance and commitment therapy but also experience, such as practice, is needed.
