The Impact of Priming Gender Role Expectations on Children's Responses to Laboratory-Induced Pain

Abstract

The present study was a novel exploration of primed gender role expectations of pain in elementary aged children. A sample of 86 children between the ages of 6 and 12 were assigned to a feminine, masculine, or control condition and completed a baseline cold pressor immersion. Participants in the feminine and masculine conditions were then primed to believe that either boys or girls were expected to last longer than children of other genders prior to all children participating in a post-prime cold pressor immersion. Pain tolerance, intensity, and bothersomeness were assessed following each cold pressor trial. Participants also completed a pediatric adaptation of the Gender Role Expectations of Pain (GREP) questionnaire. Contrary to previous research with adults, gender and prime condition did not interact to produce differential outcomes for any of the pain-related dependent variables. Analyses of the pediatric GREP revealed that boys endorsed significant stereotypic attributions related to pain intensity (p = .037) and bothersomeness (p = .008). Stereotypes aligned with traditional gendered pain expectations, with boys reporting that painful experiences both hurt and bother girls more than boys. These results suggest that gender may impact the pediatric pain experience in a complex manner. Interestingly, gender role stereotypes were not congruent with children's self-appraisals or experimental pain outcomes. Further research efforts should continue to utilize a developmental framework within diverse samples and focus on increasing the sophistication and variety of measurement tools in order to allow a more nuanced understanding of the impact of gender on pain to emerge.