Abstract
The effect of anxiety sensitivity on the experience of pain, pain threshold, pain tolerance, subjective evaluation of pain, the fear of pain, and cognitive coping strategy for pain was investigated. Physically and psychologically healthy female university students (=31) participated in this study. Participants were divided into low (n=12) and high anxiety sensitivity groups (n=19) based on the Japanese version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index score. Then, participants were required to dip their hands in cold water maintained at 3℃ (Cold Pressor Test). The pain threshold and pain tolerance were measured. After the test, the pain scale, the multiple pain scale, and the Japanese version of the coping strategy questionnaire were administered to the participants. Results indicated that the high anxiety sensitivity group had a higher subjective evaluation of pain and used a positive self-instructional coping strategy, such as self-encouragement, more often than did the low anxiety sensitivity group. Based on the above results, it is suggested that anxiety sensitivity is an important variable that affects subjective evaluation of pain, as well as the cognitive coping strategy for pain.
