I am a
Home I AM A Search Login

Papers of the Week


Papers: 30 Nov 2019 - 6 Dec 2019

RESEARCH TYPE:
Psychology


Human Studies


2020 Mar


Eur J Pain


24


3

What does “moderate pain” mean? Subgroups holding different conceptions of rating scales evaluate experimental pain differently.

Authors

Becker S, Fuchs X, Schakib-Ektaban K, Schweiker M
Eur J Pain. 2020 Mar; 24(3):625-638.
PMID: 31782862.

Abstract

Pain ratings are almost ubiquitous in pain assessment, but their variability is high. Low correlations of continuous/numerical rating scales with categorical scales suggest that individuals associate different sensations with the same number on a scale, jeopardizing the interpretation of statistical results. We analyzed individual conceptions of rating scales and whether these conceptions can be utilized in the analysis of ratings of experimental stimuli in pain-free healthy individuals and people with reoccurring/persistent pain.