Hatrack River Forum: Perception of Pain Is Subjective

This is topic Perception of Pain Is Subjective in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

UK researchers have conducted a study that strongly indicates that when exposed to identical pain stimulus, people report a perception of greater pain when the person inflicting that pain on them is male.

Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :

We already long since knew that perception of pain is subjective. [Smile]

Have you read any of Dr. Paul Brand's books? His work is so interesting.

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

Yeah, but this goes to show that things unrelated to the actual pain actually affect how much me perceive it, not just that different people have different pain thresholds.

Pretty interesting.

-Bok

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

What Bok said. Maybe I should have been clearer in my thread title.

Posted by Xaposert (Member # 1612) on :

quote:
Yeah, but this goes to show that things unrelated to the actual pain actually affect how much me perceive it

Actually, maybe it just proves that the gender of the one inflicting pain is related to the actual pain. [Wink]

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

For pain, perception is reality, then?

That explains things.

[ February 06, 2004, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: katharina ]

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

But in answer to your question, jeniwren, I'm not familiar with Brand's work. Any titles in particular that you'd recommend?

Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :

That was an interesting article, but I did have one question:

quote:
The study took account of the fact that men in general appear to have a higher pain threshold than women.

I thought women would have to have higher pain tolerance than men due to the things they go through in birthing children. [Dont Know]

Which gender can tolerate more pain, men or women? I'm so confused. ===> [Confused]

Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :

Were there any attractive women watching the man who was being hurt? [Wink]

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

*grin* BtL, that's exactly what I was thinking.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

quote:
The study took account of the fact that men in general appear to have a higher pain threshold than women

I was very surprised by that too, Nick. Perhaps women are less pain tolerant when it is something STUPID like clamping a finger in a vice, because it is "pain with no gain" whereas childbirth they can handle because mentally they want it (I didn't have any childbirth pain -- don't know about the rest of you)

But the article I guess explains why it hurts more when my son pokes me in the ribs than when my daughter does. He always says I over-react <"come'on mom -- I hardly touched you"> and makes me out to be a wimp.

FG

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

I think men clearly have a higher threshold of admitted pain. Because we're dumb and we want to impress women.

Posted by Mama Squirrel (Member # 4155) on :

I haven't read the link, but does that mean if I have a girl next time it won't hurt as much?

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

I know that a poke or bump that barely registers when inflicted on me is enough to make my wife exclaim in pain (when inflicted on her).

Posted by T. Analog Kid (Member # 381) on :

not to put a damper on women's spirits, but the pain of childbirth is often not nearly as bad as it's made out to be... <ducks the first of many bricks soon to follow>

one thing that makes labor so intensive is just that: it is *work*... yet another is that you are not talking about a simple pain, but a series of intense pains, at regular, short intervals and fairly long durations (1 to 2 minutes), over a matter of hours, sometimes even more than a day in extreme cases... that can wear someone down regardless of pain tolerance-- it's like Chinese water torture except it physically hurts, too.

another is that women have been led to fear it for so long...

of course, I will likely be crucified for daring to suggest that, I, a man, know anything about this...

Posted by Mama Squirrel (Member # 4155) on :

TAK, I am sure you don't want to know what a ten minute contraction feels like. I have heard some women don't have as much pain as others. But, when you can't feel your skin tearing as you give birth because you are in such intense pain in your back and front, then you are in some pretty good amount of pain.

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

I agree. I let my kids climb all over me, poke me, run into me, pull my hair, whatever. My wife won't stand for the kids doing that to her.

Is there any emotional response to pain that seems to amplify it for my wife? I think she tends to take it a lot more personally than I do. She also requires a hug and some kind words (which I try to give very freely) when she bangs or burns herself, while I usually just need to count to ten and cool off.

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

The women I know who've both given birth and had kidney stones have all said that the kidney stones were worse, for what that's worth. I know that my kidney stone pain a couple of years ago was the most intense pain I've ever experienced, and that includes a pretty solid (and vomit inducing) blow to my nether regions.

Posted by T. Analog Kid (Member # 381) on :

a ten minute contraction is pretty out of the ordinary, Mama Squirrel... and you'll note, I *did* say "often" -- trying to make it clear that the general case is not universal...

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

TAK - no way would I have touched that one. THe proper male response to any talk of chilbirth in mixed company is to look vaguely guilty and, if it gets really bad, to say we're actually a little jealous that we can't participate in the miracle of birth. [Wink]

All that other talk is for male-only conversations. Do we have to revoke your membership card?

Dagonee

Posted by T. Analog Kid (Member # 381) on :

hey, man, I'm in a *dangerous* mood so the rules are out the window...

"stand back, I'm a donkey on the edge... I have a dragon and I'm not afraid to use it..."

or something like that

Posted by Godric (Member # 4587) on :

Excuse me, but do you have a permit for that dragon you've got there?

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

TAK, how many items with a 10+ centimeter diameter have you passed? (4 here, 3 without painkilling drugs, 2 of them weighed over 10 lbs.)

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

And when it comes to rejection, women are like Happy Gilmore in the batting cage. But men retreat to their parents' basement and become experts on the Ferengi rules of acquisition.

Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :

There really is no way to measure how much pain childbirth could be. If the same amount of pain was placed upon a man, he would either cry out in agony, or simply shrug it off. Who knows. Women could be really wimpy. Or men could.

My view:
Not to be crude, but it's rather sensitive place on a womans body where the baby comes out. Having the skin rip there seems like it could be just a mite painful. [Angst]

My mother tells me that I was the most painful, and I'm the youngest. I was a 11.5 pound baby. [Big Grin]

Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :

quote:
But men retreat to their parents' basement and become experts on the Ferengi rules of acquisition.

Another point, just because women give birth, that does not mean that the higher amount of pain makes them have a higher pain tolerance. I was just saying that giving birth is far from painless (as everybody but fools will admit).

Posted by T. Analog Kid (Member # 381) on :

Pooka-- now, now, we both know that you underwent some dilation that my body does not feature...

Posted by Sachiko (Member # 6139) on :

The article said that pain inflicted by men hurts more, right?

Sounds like childbirth to me. [Big Grin]

Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :

[Roll Eyes]

It's caused by both man and woman.
[Razz]