Can We Control Pain?

Professor Tony Dickinson's experiment explores how expectations affect pain perception. Volunteers were given sugar pills, with half told it would increase pain and the other half told it was a painkiller. Those expecting more pain felt it even at low shock levels, while those expecting less pain coped better with higher shocks. The study highlights the significant impact of expectation on pain experience.

What was the purpose of Professor Tony Dickinson's experiment?

• To develop a new painkiller

• To test the effects of sugar on pain

• To explore how expectations affect pain perception

• To measure the intensity of electric shocks

How did the group expecting increased pain react to the electric shocks?

• They felt less pain

• They felt more pain even at low levels

• They were unaffected by the shocks

• They enjoyed the experience

What was the reaction of the group that believed they took a painkiller?

• They experienced no change in pain

• They felt more pain

• They were hardly bothered by the shocks

• They stopped the experiment early

What does the experiment suggest about the power of expectation?

• Expectation has no effect on pain

• Expectation can alter pain perception significantly

• Expectation only affects physical pain

• Expectation is irrelevant in scientific studies

Which group was able to withstand greater electrical shocks?

• The group expecting increased pain

• The group expecting pain relief

• Both groups equally

• Neither group