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The impact of exposure to social models displaying variably tolerant pain behaviour on observers' expressions of pain is examined. Findings indicate substantial effects on verbal reports of pain, avoidance behaviour, psychophysiological indices, power function parameters, and sensory decision theory indices. Discussion centers on how social models affect illness role-taking, alter emotional qualities of pain, and influence enactment of previously learned pain and illness behaviour. A recent investigation examining restrictions in communication networks among experimental participants is described. Hypotheses concerned the impact of a tolerant model, the additive effect of public disclosure of pain experience, and the effects of a coactive peer companion on personal distress. Findings indicated exposure to tolerant models substantially reduced pain reports and encouraged persistence to higher electric current intensities before describing them as unendurable and withdrew. Psychophysical scaling of the data indicated that the different forms of communication influenced power function exponents. They were smaller subsequent to exposure to a tolerant model indicating that fundamental properties of the shock experience were changed. Neither self-disclosure of preceived discomfort or a peer-companion subjected to the same experience produced changes in pain behaviour. The value of conceptualizing pain phenomena as components of complex social-behavioral transactions is discussed. (Author)

Divided 90 chronic low back pain patients into those who demonstrated signs that were congruent or incongruent with underlying anatomical and physiological principles. Low socioeconomic status, compensation claims, use of opiate analgesics, greater disability, catastrophizing cognitions, stronger emotionality, and passive coping were more characteristic of both acute and chronic incongruent patients than chronic congruent patients. (Author/NB)