Facing others in pain : why context matters

Judging pain in another is challenging, largely because pain is a subjective phenomenon to which observers have no direct access. Despite this ambiguity, inferences often are made that can drive important clinical decisions, such as estimating another’s pain intensity, with significant implications for patient treatment and outcomes. This chapter focuses upon the influence of the context upon observer cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses toward others in pain. In doing so, we consider context in its broadest form: characteristics of the patient/person in pain, the observer, and the situation, as well as elements of the reported pain experience, itself. Despite the increased understanding of and appreciation for the role of context in observer judgments, knowledge of how context, judgment, and treatment outcomes interact remains sketchy and in need of translational research. Such research is needed if we are to build our current base of knowledge and translate that knowledge into improved approaches to the assessment and treatment of patients in pain