Pain, ExperimentalNCT05511857
Could Self-distancing Alter the Perception of Experimental Pain?
A study testing Self-distancing, third-person self-talk., Self-immersed, first-person self-talk. and Distraction in people with Pain, Experimental, run by Linnaeus University at 1 site in Sweden.
Trial summary
Physical pain leads to a narrow, egocentric focus on the self, in the here and now, particularly when experienced at high intensity levels. When long-term pains are experienced, this narrow focus could be debilitating, since attention to the pain itself may increase its perceived intensity and it could increase… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Pain, Experimental
- What is being tested?
- Self-distancing, third-person self-talk., Self-immersed, first-person self-talk. and Distraction
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 292 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSweden
- Study dates
- 7 Sep 2022to 9 Jun 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- No known disease affecting the nervous system.
- Swedish comprehension.
- Age over 18 years old.
- -
Who cannot join
- Experiencing clinical pain at the test session.
- Known disease affecting the nervous system.
- Inadequate Swedish comprehension.
- Age under 18 years old.
- -
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Jens Agerström, Professor contact
Sweden1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Helena Gunnarsson
Vaxjo, Kronoberg County, 35195
Helena Gunnarsson, PhD, 0708432509, helena.gunnarsson@lnu.se
About this study
Official title: Self-distancing and Pain: Can Different Thinking Strategies Affect the Perception of Short-lasting and Long-lasting, Persistent Pain?
Physical pain leads to a narrow, egocentric focus on the self, in the here and now, particularly when experienced at high intensity levels. When long-term pains are experienced, this narrow focus could be debilitating, since attention to the pain itself may increase its perceived intensity and it could increase negative emotional processes that further contribute to pain-related suffering. One way of overcoming this could be by adopting a more distant view of oneself and the pain, thereby making the pain more abstract. An established way of creating distance is by reflecting on the self, using one's own name and second or third-person singular pronouns, so called third-person self-talk. Earlier research has reported that a psychologically distant perspective could reduce emotional distress when reflecting on negative experiences, reduce feelings of anger after provocation and to lower blood pressure. Self-distancing should thus help people mentally reconstrue their pain experience and possibly make the pain signals less cognitively salient. In this experimental study, healthy participants will be induced with pain while performing different tasks.
Read the detailed description
Physical pain leads to a narrow, egocentric focus on the self, in the here and now, particularly when experienced at high intensity levels. When long-term pain is experienced, this narrow focus could be debilitating, since attention to the pain itself may increase its perceived intensity and it could increase negative emotional processes that further contribute to pain-related suffering. One way of overcoming this could be by adopting a more distant view of oneself and the pain, thereby making the pain more abstract. An established way of creating distance is by reflecting on the self, using one's own name and second or third-person singular pronouns, so called third-person self-talk. Earlier research has reported that a psychologically distant perspective could reduce emotional distress when reflecting on negative experiences, reduce feelings of anger after provocation and lead to lower blood pressure. Self-distancing should thus help people mentally reconstrue their pain experience and possibly make the pain signals less cognitively salient.
In the first part of this study, which will be the first registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, we will experimentally induce pain in healthy participants (N = 292) with a cold pressor apparatus. The cold pressor apparatus holds a constant water temperature of 1 degree Celsius, which creates pain in the immersed hand. At the experimental test session, the participant will first be comfortably seated and receive information about the task and the experimental pain induction. They will be instructed to withhold their hand in the cold water for as long as possible, but when they feel that the pain becomes too intense they can choose to remove their hand. After that, a blood pressure measurement will be conducted. Directly after that, the participant will be instructed to put their hand in the cold water-bath (the cold pressor apparatus), and when they put their hand in the cold water a new blood pressure measurement will be conducted. A timer will be started to measure the time in seconds that the participant is able to keep their hand in the cold water. While their hand is in the cold water-bath, the participant will conduct one of the four different interventions (self-distanced, third-person self-talk following a cue-card; self-immersed, first-person self-talk following a cue-card; distraction intervention following a cue-card; no intervention (control)). When the participant removes their hand from the cold water-bath, the time in seconds will be noted and they will immediately be asked to estimate their pain on a Numerical Rating Scale. A short debriefing will conclude the session.
- Conditions
- Pain, Experimental
- Being tested
- Self-distancing, third-person self-talk., Self-immersed, first-person self-talk., Distraction
- Keywords
- Pain
- Medical subject headings
- Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Self-distancing, third-person self-talk.Behavioural
The participants will engage in self-distancing, third-person self-talk.
Self-immersed, first-person self-talk.Behavioural
The participants will engage in self-immersed, first-person self-talk.
DistractionBehavioural
The participants will engage in a distraction task.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| The effect of a self-distanced view on pain perception. | Experimental | The participant will exert self-distanced, third-person self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain. Receives: Behavioral: Self-distancing, third-person self-talk. |
| The effect of a self-immersed view on pain perception. | Experimental | The participant will exert self-immersed, first-person self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain. Receives: Behavioral: Self-immersed, first-person self-talk. |
| The effect of non-view, self-talk on pain perception. | Experimental | The participant will exert self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain. Receives: Behavioral: Distraction |
| Pain perception in induced, experimental pain. | No intervention | Control group. This group will be induced with experimental pain, but will receive no specific task to exert. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain tolerance
The amount of time in seconds the participant can withhold their hand in the cold pressor test.
Measured: At the test session, the amount of time in seconds the participant withhold their hand in a cold water bath while engaging in self-talk will be measured. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.
Pain intensity
The estimated experimental pain intensity on the Numerical Rating Scale. Minimum value of the Numerical Rating Scale is 0, which is equivalent with no pain. Maximum value of the Numerical Rating Scale is 10 which is equivalent of worst imaginable pain.
Measured: The participant will be asked to estimate their pain from the hand (immersed in cold water) on the Numerical Rating Scale at the experimental test session. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.
Pain-related fear
The estimated pain-related fear on the Numerical Rating Scale. Minimum value 0 and maximum value 10.
Measured: The participant will be asked to estimate their pain-related fear accompanying the pain they felt when the hand was immersed in cold water on the Numerical Rating Scale. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.
Change in blood pressure before and during pain induction.
The difference score between the blood pressure before the pain induction and the blood pressure during the pain induction will be compared between the different groups. For example, the difference score between the blood pressure in the self-distanced, third-person self-talk condition will be compared to the difference score in the self-immersed, first-person self-talk condition.
Measured: The blood-pressure will be measured at the beginning of each test session and during the pain induction during each condition. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year..
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Aug 2022
- Study start7 Sep 2022
- Primary completion9 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion9 Jun 2024 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Pain, ExperimentalStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 292 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Linnaeus University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Helena Gunnarsson, Linnaeus University
- Investigators
- Helena Gunnarsson, PhD, Principal investigator, Linnaeus University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05511857
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- LinneausU
- Status last verified
- Sep 2022
- First submitted
- 16 Aug 2022
- Last updated
- 19 Sep 2022
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: No plan to share data.
Publications
Ayduk, Ö., Kross, E. (2010). Analyzing Negative Experiences Without Ruminating: The Role of Self-Distancing in Enabling Adaptive Self-Reflection. Soc Personal Psychol Compass, 841-854. 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00301.
Loewenstein G. Out of control: visceral influences on behavior. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process. 1996;65(3):272-292.
Mischkowski, D., Kross, E., Bushman, B.J. (2012). Flies on the wall are less aggressive: Self-distancing "in the heat of the moment" reduces aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, and aggressive behavior. J Exp Soc Psychol 48, 1187-1191.
Orvell A, Vickers BD, Drake B, Verduyn P, Ayduk O, Moser J, Jonides J, Kross E. Does distanced Self-Talk Facilitate Emotion Regulation Across a Range of Emotionally Intense Experiences? Clin Psych Sci 2021; 9: 68-78.
Gunnarsson H, Agerstrom J. Pain From a Distance: Can Third-Person Self-Talk Mitigate Pain Sensitivity and Pain Related Distress During Experimentally Induced Pain? Psychol Rep. 2026 Jun;129(3):1949-1964. doi: 10.1177/00332941241269520. Epub 2024 Aug 1.
PubMed 39091032
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 Sep 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Self-distancing and Pain: Can Different Thinking Strategies Affect the Perception of Short-lasting and Long-lasting, Persistent Pain?
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05511857
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- LinneausU
- Conditions
- Pain, Experimental
- Keywords
- Pain
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 292 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Linnaeus UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 7 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 9 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 9 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- First posted
- 23 Aug 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Physical pain leads to a narrow, egocentric focus on the self, in the here and now, particularly when experienced at high intensity levels. When long-term pains are experienced, this narrow focus could be debilitating, since attention to the pain itself may increase its perceived intensity and it could increase negative emotional processes that further contribute to pain-related suffering. One way of overcoming this could be by adopting a more distant view of oneself and the pain, thereby making the pain more abstract. An established way of creating distance is by reflecting on the self, using one's own name and second or third-person singular pronouns, so called third-person self-talk. Earlier research has reported that a psychologically distant perspective could reduce emotional distress when reflecting on negative experiences, reduce feelings of anger after provocation and to lower blood pressure. Self-distancing should thus help people mentally reconstrue their pain experience and possibly make the pain signals less cognitively salient. In this experimental study, healthy participants will be induced with pain while performing different tasks.
Detailed description
Physical pain leads to a narrow, egocentric focus on the self, in the here and now, particularly when experienced at high intensity levels. When long-term pain is experienced, this narrow focus could be debilitating, since attention to the pain itself may increase its perceived intensity and it could increase negative emotional processes that further contribute to pain-related suffering. One way of overcoming this could be by adopting a more distant view of oneself and the pain, thereby making the pain more abstract. An established way of creating distance is by reflecting on the self, using one's own name and second or third-person singular pronouns, so called third-person self-talk. Earlier research has reported that a psychologically distant perspective could reduce emotional distress when reflecting on negative experiences, reduce feelings of anger after provocation and lead to lower blood pressure. Self-distancing should thus help people mentally reconstrue their pain experience and possibly make the pain signals less cognitively salient.
In the first part of this study, which will be the first registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, we will experimentally induce pain in healthy participants (N = 292) with a cold pressor apparatus. The cold pressor apparatus holds a constant water temperature of 1 degree Celsius, which creates pain in the immersed hand. At the experimental test session, the participant will first be comfortably seated and receive information about the task and the experimental pain induction. They will be instructed to withhold their hand in the cold water for as long as possible, but when they feel that the pain becomes too intense they can choose to remove their hand. After that, a blood pressure measurement will be conducted. Directly after that, the participant will be instructed to put their hand in the cold water-bath (the cold pressor apparatus), and when they put their hand in the cold water a new blood pressure measurement will be conducted. A timer will be started to measure the time in seconds that the participant is able to keep their hand in the cold water. While their hand is in the cold water-bath, the participant will conduct one of the four different interventions (self-distanced, third-person self-talk following a cue-card; self-immersed, first-person self-talk following a cue-card; distraction intervention following a cue-card; no intervention (control)). When the participant removes their hand from the cold water-bath, the time in seconds will be noted and they will immediately be asked to estimate their pain on a Numerical Rating Scale. A short debriefing will conclude the session.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| The effect of a self-distanced view on pain perception. | Experimental | Behavioral: Self-distancing, third-person self-talk.The participant will exert self-distanced, third-person self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain. |
| The effect of a self-immersed view on pain perception. | Experimental | Behavioral: Self-immersed, first-person self-talk.The participant will exert self-immersed, first-person self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain. |
| The effect of non-view, self-talk on pain perception. | Experimental | Behavioral: DistractionThe participant will exert self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain. |
| Pain perception in induced, experimental pain. | No intervention | –Control group. This group will be induced with experimental pain, but will receive no specific task to exert. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- No known disease affecting the nervous system.
- Swedish comprehension.
- Age over 18 years old.
- -
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Experiencing clinical pain at the test session.
- Known disease affecting the nervous system.
- Inadequate Swedish comprehension.
- Age under 18 years old.
- -
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Self-distancing, third-person self-talk.The participants will engage in self-distancing, third-person self-talk. | Behavioural | The effect of a self-distanced view on pain perception. |
| Self-immersed, first-person self-talk.The participants will engage in self-immersed, first-person self-talk. | Behavioural | The effect of a self-immersed view on pain perception. |
| DistractionThe participants will engage in a distraction task. | Behavioural | The effect of non-view, self-talk on pain perception. |
Primary outcome
Pain tolerance
Time frame: At the test session, the amount of time in seconds the participant withhold their hand in a cold water bath while engaging in self-talk will be measured. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.
The amount of time in seconds the participant can withhold their hand in the cold pressor test.
Pain intensity
Time frame: The participant will be asked to estimate their pain from the hand (immersed in cold water) on the Numerical Rating Scale at the experimental test session. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.
The estimated experimental pain intensity on the Numerical Rating Scale. Minimum value of the Numerical Rating Scale is 0, which is equivalent with no pain. Maximum value of the Numerical Rating Scale is 10 which is equivalent of worst imaginable pain.
Pain-related fear
Time frame: The participant will be asked to estimate their pain-related fear accompanying the pain they felt when the hand was immersed in cold water on the Numerical Rating Scale. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.
The estimated pain-related fear on the Numerical Rating Scale. Minimum value 0 and maximum value 10.
Change in blood pressure before and during pain induction.
Time frame: The blood-pressure will be measured at the beginning of each test session and during the pain induction during each condition. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year..
The difference score between the blood pressure before the pain induction and the blood pressure during the pain induction will be compared between the different groups. For example, the difference score between the blood pressure in the self-distanced, third-person self-talk condition will be compared to the difference score in the self-immersed, first-person self-talk condition.
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 Sep 2022.
- BackgroundAyduk, Ö., Kross, E. (2010). Analyzing Negative Experiences Without Ruminating: The Role of Self-Distancing in Enabling Adaptive Self-Reflection. Soc Personal Psychol Compass, 841-854. 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00301.
- BackgroundLoewenstein G. Out of control: visceral influences on behavior. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process. 1996;65(3):272-292.
- BackgroundMischkowski, D., Kross, E., Bushman, B.J. (2012). Flies on the wall are less aggressive: Self-distancing "in the heat of the moment" reduces aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, and aggressive behavior. J Exp Soc Psychol 48, 1187-1191.
- BackgroundOrvell A, Vickers BD, Drake B, Verduyn P, Ayduk O, Moser J, Jonides J, Kross E. Does distanced Self-Talk Facilitate Emotion Regulation Across a Range of Emotionally Intense Experiences? Clin Psych Sci 2021; 9: 68-78.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 39091032Gunnarsson H, Agerstrom J. Pain From a Distance: Can Third-Person Self-Talk Mitigate Pain Sensitivity and Pain Related Distress During Experimentally Induced Pain? Psychol Rep. 2026 Jun;129(3):1949-1964. doi: 10.1177/00332941241269520. Epub 2024 Aug 1.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. No plan to share data.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jens Agerström, Professor contact
Helena Gunnarsson, PhD principal investigator
Linnaeus University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Self-distancing, third-person self-talk., Self-immersed, first-person self-talk. and Distraction in people with Pain, Experimental, run by Linnaeus University at 1 site in Sweden.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Sep 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Sweden. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Helena Gunnarsson, PhD (+46708432509, helena.gunnarsson@lnu.se), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pain tolerance (time frame: At the test session, the amount of time in seconds the participant withhold their hand in a cold water bath while engaging in self-talk will be measured. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05511857, which also lists 5 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Sep 2022; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.