Phenomenological characteristics of experiencing physical and psychological pain on the example of autobiographical recollection: similarities and differences.

Abstract

The current paper discussesphenomenological features of the two subjectively distinct types of pain: physical and psychological. Based on the recent studies of social pain as a kind of pain unrelated to any organic injuries,we hypothesized certain characteristicsof subjective representationof these types of pain. The current study included 285 people (170 females).Content analysis was applied in order to analyze the memories of physical and psychological pain (112 episodes of physical pain and 173 episodes of psychological pain). These recollections were further compared withinthe model of functional structure of the psyche by V.A. Ganzen. The main results regard the differential representation of sensitive (perceptive) and affective components. Also, our results include the specification of the active cognitive and integrative processes within subjective experience of two types of pain and their comparability in general. These results can contribute to the expansion of the pain definition beyond the limits of only physical distress. Ourresults can also serve as a ground for the development of new hypotheses regarding the two types of painful experience.