The effect of pain on human time perception
type: CreativeWork
description: This thesis explored the effect of pain on human temporal perception. This aim was achieved firstly by systematically testing the way in which pain experience affects duration estimates, and memory for duration and secondly by examining whether it was possible to reduce perceived duration of pain in clinical and no clinical population. Chapter 5 examined the effect of different pain intensities on perceived duration when pain was the to-be-timed stimulus (i.e., task-relevant) and when pain was in the background (i.e., task-irrelevant). Participants were required to verbally estimate the duration of no pain, low pain and high pain electro-cutaneous stimulations and the duration of a neutral visual stimulus whilst being exposed to no pain, low pain and high pain thermal stimulation. Increases in the intensity of the electro-cutaneous stimulation were associated with longer verbal estimates, reflecting a multiplicative effect. However, low pain thermal stimulation did not affect the perceived duration of the visual stimulus and high pain thermal stimulation led to shorter verbal estimates. The lengthening effect of pain therefore appeared to be limited to circumstances when pain was task-relevant. Chapter 6 examined whether changes in physiological arousal mediated the effect of task-relevant and task-irrelevant pain on time perception. Participants’ physiological activity (skin conductance level and high frequency heart rate variability) was measured while they were asked to verbally estimate the duration of an electro-cutaneous stimulation at different intensities and a neutral stimulus whilst perceiving a thermal stimulation at different intensities. The lengthening effect of task-relevant pain on time perception, although did not replicate the multiplicative effect, was mediated by sympathetic arousal, supporting previous suggestions that temporal distortions due to pain are caused by changes in the arousal level. However, task-irrelevant pain did not affect verbal…
abstract: This thesis explored the effect of pain on human temporal perception. This aim was achieved firstly by systematically testing the way in which pain experience affects duration estimates, and memory for duration and secondly by examining whether it was possible to reduce perceived duration of pain in clinical and no clinical population. Chapter 5 examined the effect of different pain intensities on perceived duration when pain was the to-be-timed stimulus (i.e., task-relevant) and when pain was in the background (i.e., task-irrelevant). Participants were required to verbally estimate the duration of no pain, low pain and high pain electro-cutaneous stimulations and the duration of a neutral visual stimulus whilst being exposed to no pain, low pain and high pain thermal stimulation. Increases in the intensity of the electro-cutaneous stimulation were associated with longer verbal estimates, reflecting a multiplicative effect. However, low pain thermal stimulation did not affect the perceived duration of the visual stimulus and high pain thermal stimulation led to shorter verbal estimates. The lengthening effect of pain therefore appeared to be limited to circumstances when pain was task-relevant. Chapter 6 examined whether changes in physiological arousal mediated the effect of task-relevant and task-irrelevant pain on time perception. Participants’ physiological activity (skin conductance level and high frequency heart rate variability) was measured while they were asked to verbally estimate the duration of an electro-cutaneous stimulation at different intensities and a neutral stimulus whilst perceiving a thermal stimulation at different intensities. The lengthening effect of task-relevant pain on time perception, although did not replicate the multiplicative effect, was mediated by sympathetic arousal, supporting previous suggestions that temporal distortions due to pain are caused by changes in the arousal level. However, task-irrelevant pain did not affect verbal…
author: Piovesan, A
keywords: BF Psychology, RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
date published: 2019-06
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:30:28Z
provider: Liverpool Jon Moores University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Liverpool John Moores University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.24377/LJMU.t.00010884