The close proximity of threat: Altered distance perception in the anticipation of pain

Tabor, Abby; Catley, Mark J.; Gandevia, Simon C.; Thacker, Michael A.; Spence, Charles; Moseley, G. L.

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00626

The close proximity of threat: Altered distance perception in the anticipation of pain

Tabor, Abby; Catley, Mark J.; Gandevia, Simon C.; Thacker, Michael A.; Spence, Charles; Moseley, G. L.

Authors

Abby Tabor

Mark J. Catley

Simon C. Gandevia

Michael A. Thacker

Charles Spence

G. L. Moseley

Abstract

Pain is an experience that powerfully influences the way we interact with our environment. What is less clear is the influence that pain has on the way we perceive our environment. We investigated the effect that the anticipation of experimental pain (THREAT) and its relief (RELIEF) has on the visual perception of space. Eighteen (11F) healthy volunteers estimated the distance to alternating THREAT and RELIEF stimuli that were placed within reachable space. The results determined that the estimated distance to the THREAT stimulus was significantly underestimated in comparison to the RELIEF stimulus. We conclude that pain-evoking stimuli are perceived as closer to the body than otherwise identical pain-relieving stimuli, an important consideration when applied to our decisions and behaviors in relation to the experience of pain.

Citation

Tabor, A., Catley, M. J., Gandevia, S. C., Thacker, M. A., Spence, C., & Moseley, G. L. (2015). The close proximity of threat: Altered distance perception in the anticipation of pain. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00626

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Apr 28, 2015
Online Publication Date	May 13, 2015
Publication Date	May 13, 2015
Deposit Date	Jun 9, 2023
Publicly Available Date	Jun 13, 2023
Journal	Frontiers in Psychology
Electronic ISSN	1664-1078
Publisher	Frontiers Media
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	6
DOI	https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00626
Keywords	perceptual inference, pain, neuroeconomics, Bayesian decision-making, persipersonal space
Public URL	https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10850216
Publisher URL	https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00626/full