Answer to Question #305290 in Psychology for shannie

Question

Write about psychological influences on pain perception. Specifically discuss the Gate Control Theory of Pain by Melzack and Wall (1965), analyzing factors that can open the gate and factors that can close the gate. Consider this in relation to the reading by Ressler et al. (2012), on the positive effects of blogging about chronic pain and illness. Discuss blogging in the context of psychological moderators such as stress, coping, social support, control, and personality. 

Answer 1

Psychological factors, such as the situational and emotional factors that exist when we experience pain, can profoundly alter the strength of these perceptions. Attention, understanding, control, expectations, and the aversive significance can affect pain perceptions.

The gate control theory of pain sensitivity was proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965 to include free nerve endings in the deeper layers of the skin. These nerve endings respond to touch by inhibiting the spinal transmission of pain signals from the body to the brain. Results suggest that blogging about chronic pain and illness may decrease a sense of isolation through the establishment of online connections with others and increases a sense of purpose to help others in similar situations.

In psychology, the concept of “stress” is an umbrella term for a broad range of mostly negative psychological states with potentially health affecting implications (Carver & Vargas, 2011; Dougall & Baum, 2012). Stress can vary not only in duration and intensity but also in symptoms, which differ individually and manifest either biologically (high blood pressure, lack of appetite, sleeplessness, tremors, cardiovascular disease etc.) or psychologically (uneasiness, depression, fear, panic etc.). Stress is seen not as a simple effect of circumstances, but as result of a complex interplay between situations, personality traits and behavior (Aldwin, 2007). Given the complexity of the psychological stress concept, research faces the challenge to find new ways of helping people deal with diverse and highly individual stress-related experiences. As the state “being stressed” is increasingly seen as normal, there is a need for low-threshold methods for intervention that do not stigmatize individuals as being “in treatment” for minor issues. One of the more recent developments has been the use of internet communication, especially weblogs, for coping with stress. To understand the potential benefits and the relative novelty of this approach, a brief recapitulation of the theoretical underpinnings of coping with stress and writing therapy is necessary.