IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCIEVED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SOCIAL NETWORK DIVERSITY AND EXPERIMENTAL PAIN INTENSITY, PAIN CATASTROPHIZING, AND STRESS?

Authors

Emma G. Parks*, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA 30582Follow
Percy W. Ackerman*, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA 30582Follow
Benjamin P. Van Dyke PhD, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA 30582Follow

Abstract

Is social support or social network diversity associated with pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and stress in an experimental pain task? When you are experiencing pain, many factors can affect how you respond to and experience pain. This study aimed to look at the relationships of social support and social network diversity on the pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and stress reported before and after the cold pressor task. We hypothesized that those with greater levels of perceived social support and a wider variety of types of relationships would experience a lower pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and stress and higher pain tolerance and threshold. This study was conducted using a cold pressor where 25 undergraduate participants over age 18 were instructed to keep their hand in the water until it became too painful. The water was maintained between 2-4 degrees Celsius. Our results partially supported our hypothesis as perceived social support explained 64% of the variance in dispositional pain catastrophizing (p = .004). Specifically, reassurance of worth predicted lower pain catastrophizing (p = .002). Even though sample size limited our ability to detect additional significant results, the remaining findings suggested that perceived social support might be associated with lower stress in the last month (43% variance; p = .097) and pain intensity during an acute painful event (46% of variance; p = .125) and number of relationships might be associated with situational pain catastrophizing (11% of variance; p = .104). Effect sizes suggest that perceived social support was a more important predictor than social network variables. Future research should examine the relationships between social support variables and pain response using a larger sample size.

Acknowledgements

Young Harris College Undergraduate Research Program

Recommended Citation

Parks*, Emma G.; Ackerman*, Percy W.; and Van Dyke, Benjamin P. PhD (2025) "IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCIEVED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SOCIAL NETWORK DIVERSITY AND EXPERIMENTAL PAIN INTENSITY, PAIN CATASTROPHIZING, AND STRESS?," Georgia Journal of Science, Vol. 83, No. 1, Article 78.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol83/iss1/78