Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Placebo analgesia is a widely established phenomenon in which a substance without pain reducing qualities lessens subjective pain when individuals are told of its potential pain reduction. The amount of information participants are told of the pain reducing substance has been found to influence the placebo response. However, individual differences, such as tolerance for uncertainty, may moderate this context effect. The purpose of this study is to examine how the amount of information given will influence the placebo response in individuals with a high or low tolerance for uncertainty. Participants will consist of 90 Undergraduate students at York University. Individuals will be randomly assigned to watch a video of high, low or neutral amount of information on the pain alleviating properties of the cream. Each subject will report on their anxiety, tolerance for uncertainty, and pain following treatment of an inactive cream told to have pain reducing properties. This research will improve our understanding of the context and personal factors that influence an individual's response to placebo analgesia, and thus aid in the future research and administration of pain-reducing drugs.