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An Experimental Investigation of the Effects and Mechanisms of Mindfulness Meditation Versus Self-Hypnosis Versus an Attention Control on Cold Pressor Outcomes

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Abstract

Objectives

This research examined whether brief sessions of mindfulness meditation (MM) or self-hypnosis (HYP) produce changes in cold pressor task (CPT) outcomes and whether outcome improvement, when it occurs, is mediated by attentional processes (i.e., pain focus, mindful observing) or pain appraisals (i.e., threat, challenge).

Methods

Healthy adults (N = 201) were randomly assigned to 20-min sessions of MM, HYP, or an attention Control. Participants completed assessments of potential mediators before the first CPT and after experimental intervention, but before a second CPT.

Results

HYP and MM participants reported greater reductions in CPT pain intensity than Control participants, and CPT unpleasantness was reduced in HYP compared to Control. Neither MM nor HYP resulted in significant changes in pain focus or mindful observing, and these scales were not associated with CPT outcomes. However, threat appraisals were reduced in HYP versus Control, and threat appraisal reductions were associated with increased pain tolerance. Challenge appraisal increased in both HYP versus Control and HYP versus MM, and challenge increases were associated with reductions in CPT unpleasantness. Challenge changes were a significant mediator of unpleasantness changes when HYP was compared to MM (p = .042); this mediation effect was non-significant for HYP compared to Control (p = .059).

Conclusions

The findings indicate single sessions of HYP and MM produce changes in CPT outcomes. HYP also influenced threat and challenge appraisals, which were associated with CPT outcome changes, and challenge appraisals emerged as a potential mechanism of HYP. Further research is needed to identify mediating mechanisms for these two pain management approaches.

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Funding

This research was supported by start-up funds from the University of Queensland, awarded to the last author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Michelle P. Grover, L. Charles Ward, Jason B. Mattingley & Melissa A. Day

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Mark P. Jensen, Dawn M. Ehde & Melissa A. Day

  3. Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Beverly E. Thorn

  4. William James Center for Research, ISPA – University Institute, Lisbon, Portugal

    Alexandra Ferreira-Valente

Authors
  1. Michelle P. Grover
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  2. Mark P. Jensen
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  7. Alexandra Ferreira-Valente
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  8. Melissa A. Day
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Contributions

MG and MD designed the study, assisted with the data analyses, and led the writing of the paper. MG was the study experimenter. MJ, DE, JM, and BT collaborated with the design and writing of the study. LW analyzed the data and wrote part of the results. AF-V collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melissa A. Day.

Ethics declarations

This research was approved by the human ethics committee at The University of Queensland, and has therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Informed consent was obtained from all participants at enrolment.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Grover, M.P., Jensen, M.P., Ward, L.C. et al. An Experimental Investigation of the Effects and Mechanisms of Mindfulness Meditation Versus Self-Hypnosis Versus an Attention Control on Cold Pressor Outcomes. Mindfulness 12, 923–935 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01556-7

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