The perception of unpleasant stimuli enhances whereas the perception of pleasant stimuli decreases pain perception. In contrast, the effects of pain on the processing of emotional stimuli are much less known. Especially given the recent interest in facial expressions of pain as a special category of emotional stimuli, a main topic in this research line is the mutual influence of pain and facial...

Pain perception involves a complex, dynamic process. Research over the past several decades has indicated numerous factors that influence the modulation of pain perception in humans. Research also suggests that pain perception presents an intricate balance between a warning sign to protect the biological integrity of an organism and an adaptive process not to overtax the system. One such exampl...

Psychological factors play a major role in exacerbating chronic pain. Effective self-management of pain is often hindered by inaccurate beliefs about the nature of pain which lead to a high degree of emotional reactivity. Probabilistic models of perception state that greater confidence (certainty) in beliefs increases their influence on perception and behavior. In this study, we treat confidenc...