Variability of Momentary Pain Predicts Recall of Weekly Pain: A Consequence of t

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Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2005 Oct;31(10):1340-6.

Variability of Momentary Pain Predicts Recall of Weekly Pain: A

Consequence of the Peak (or Salience) Memory Heuristic.

Stone AA, Schwartz JE, Broderick JE, Shiffman SS.

Stony Brook University.

Patients' recall of their recent pain is commonly assessed by both

researchers and clinicians. However, concerns have been raised about

differences between recalled pain and the average of real-time

recordings of pain taken over the same period, in part because of the

possibility that memory processes affect how retrospective pain is

reported. It was hypothesized that memory processes affect the

accuracy of recall, such that those with higher versus lower

variability of real-time pain will recall pain at higher levels,

relative to their average momentary pain. Sixty-eight chronic pain

patients with rheumatologic conditions reported their pain several

times a day for 2 weeks and also recalled their weekly pain at the

end of each of those 2 weeks. The hypothesis was confirmed and it was

concluded that variability of real-time pain affects the recall of

pain.