Avoidant coping, verbal-autonomic response dissociation and pain tolerance

Higher autonomic reactivity relative to self-reported discomfort, often found in repressors and avoidant copers might be associated with a diminished perception of bodily symptoms. This study aimed at relating such so-called verbal-autonomic response dissociation to pain tolerance. Eighty-five volunteers underwent a public speaking task and a cold pressor test. Heart rate and negative affect in response to the speech, and pain ratings and facial muscle responses for the cold pressor were obtained. A dissociation score was calculated for each individual in response to speech, thereby subtracting standardized changes in negative affect from standardized changes in heart rate. Response dissociation was positively associated with avoidant coping and negatively associated with pain perception, although it was unrelated to the facial muscle response. Moreover, it mediated the relationship between avoidant coping and pain perception. Thus, verbal-autonomic response dissociation might represent a meaningful intervening variable for understanding the avoidant coping-health relationship.