Primary data on the study "Chronic pain is associated with reduced savoring of aesthetic experiences"

Cognitive Psychology

Authors(s) / Creator(s)

Weigand, Rosalie
Moosmayer, Annika
Jacobsen, Thomas

Abstract

Aesthetic experiences have previously been associated with positive emotions and positive effects on health. In this context, the concept of aesthetic savoring refers to a cognitive form of emotion regulation that serves to sustain and extend positive emotional experiences and is considered conducive to health and well-being. Chronic pain has been linked at the behavioral level to decreased reward seeking. This is the first study to examine the relationship between chronic pain and aesthetic pleasure seeking behavior. An anonymous cross-sectional survey in a large nonclinical sample of opera, theater, and cabaret attendees is reported (n = 322). Two items were used to assess aesthetic savoring as well as chronic pain. We found a strong negative association (r = -.547) between chronic pain and aesthetic savoring. Overall, this finding contributes to a better understanding of the impact of chronic pain in humans and state-dependent differences in aesthetic experience.

Persistent Identifier

https://doi.org/10.5160/psychdata.wdre21pr07

Year of Publication

2021

Funding

Citation

Weigand, R., Moosmayer, A. & Jacobsen, T. (2021). Primary data on the study "Chronic pain is associated with reduced savoring of aesthetic experiences" (Version 1.0.0) [Data and Documentation]. Trier: Research Data Center at ZPID. https://doi.org/10.5160/psychdata.wdre21pr07

Study Description

Research Questions/Hypotheses:

Chronic pain is negatively related to the savoring of aesthetic experiences.

Research Design:

Fully standardised survey instrument; repeated measurements

Measurement Instruments/Apparatus:

Field experiment; Data collection took place over 11 time points in an opera house, a theater, and a cabaret. The subjects were made aware of the study by a banner and after the performance were asked to answer two items whose order and scale polarity were randomized.

Chronic pain was assessed with one item of the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire. The item “In the past 6 months, on average, how intense was your pain?” was answered on an 11-point rating scale ranging from 0 = no pain to 10 = pain as bad as it could be. Savoring was measured by the item ” I savored today’s show,” which was answered on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 = not at all to 7 = very much

Data Collection Method:

Survey in the presence of an investigator

  • Single target
  • Paper and pencil

Population:

322 Opera, theater and cabaret visitors

Survey Time Period:

Sample:

Convenience sample

Gender Distribution:

Age Distribution:

Spatial Coverage (Country/Region/City): Germany

Subject Recruitment:

The participants were made aware of the study with the help of a banner or approached directly by our team, consisting of two men and two women. We approached men and women as well as younger and older people alternately.

Sample Size:

322 individuals

Return/Drop Out:

wdre21pr07_readme.txt
Text file - 3 KB
Sharing Level 1 (Scientific Use)
Description: Description of the files

wdre21pr07_pd_de.txt
Text file - 6 KB
MD5: 733D8284C3D2DF70F79D539E4BA28CE8
Sharing Level 1 (Scientific Use)
Description: Primary data file (German version)

wdre21pr07_pd_en.txt
Text file - 6 KB
MD5: 42796DFA972C500AE8140485C23AAB85
Sharing Level 1 (Scientific Use)
Description: Primary data file (English version)

wdre21pr07_kb_de.txt
Text file - 2 KB
Sharing Level 1 (Scientific Use)
Description: Codebook for the primary data file wdre21pr07_pd_de.txt

wdre21pr07_kb_en.txt
Text file - 2 KB
Sharing Level 1 (Scientific Use)
Description: Codebook for primary data file wdre21pr07_pd_en.txt

Position Name Label Valid Values Missing Values
1 VP Versuchspersonencode Zeichenkette "individueller Versuchspersonencode" 9999 "fehlender Wert: nicht spezifiziert"
2 GENUSS Wahrgenommener Genuss 1 "Gar nicht" 2 "" 3 "" 4 "" 5 "" 6 "" 7 "Sehr" 9 "fehlender Wert: nicht spezifiziert"
3 SCHMERZ Item 3 aus dem Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire (CPG; Von Korff, M., Ormel, J., Keefe, F. J., & Dworkin, S. F. (1992). Grading the severity of chronic pain. Pain, 50(2), 133-149.) 0 "Keine Schmerzen" 1 "" 2 "" 3 "" 4 "" 5 "" 6 "" 7 "" 8 "" 9 "" 10 "Schlimmste vorstellbare Schmerzen" 99 "fehlender Wert: nicht spezifiziert"
4 SKALENPOLUNG Polungsrichtung der Skalen. 0 "Pos-Neg" 1 "Neg-Pos" 9 "fehlender Wert: nicht spezifiziert"
5 AUFFUERHUNG Titel der Opern- oder Theateraufführung am Erhebungstermin 1 "Le Nozze di Figaro/Don Giovanni" 2 "Moby Dick" 3 "Immer Ärger mit den Nachbarn" 4 "Ausnahmezustand" 5 "Liliom" 6 "Neverland" 7 "Hänsel und Gretel" 8 "Die Katze und der General" 9 "Hexenjagd" 99 "fehlender Wert: nicht spezifiziert"
6 AUFFUEHRUNGSART Art der Aufführung, nach der die Befragung durchgeführt wurde 1 "Oper" 2 "Theaterstück" 3 "Kabarett" 9 "fehlender Wert: nicht spezifiziert"
7 ITEMREIHENFOLGE Reihenfolge der Fragen 0 "Schmerz; Genuss" 1 "Genuss; Schmerz" 9 "fehlender Wert: nicht spezifiziert"
Position Name Label Valid Values Missing Values
1 VP Subject Code String "individual subject code" 9999 "missing value: unspecified"
2 SAVORING Perceived savoring 1 "Not at all" 2 "" 3 "" 4 "" 5 "" 6 "" 7 "very much" 9 "missing value: not specified"
3 PAIN Item 3 from the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire (CPG; Von Korff, M., Ormel, J., Keefe, F. J., & Dworkin, S. F. (1992). Grading the severity of chronic pain. Pain, 50(2), 133-149.) 0 "No pain." 1 "" 2 "" 3 "" 4 "" 5 "" 6 "" 7 "" 8 "" 9 "" 10 "Pain as bad as it could be" 99 "missing value: unspecified"
4 SCALE_POLING Polarity direction of the scales. 0 "Pos-Neg" 1 "Neg-Pos" 9 "missing value: unspecified"
5 PERFORMANCE Title of the opera or theater performance on the survey date. 1 "Le Nozze di Figaro/Don Giovanni" 2 "Moby Dick" 3 "Always Trouble with the Neighbors" 4 "State of Emergency" 5 "Liliom" 6 "Neverland" 7 "Hansel and Gretel" 8 "The Cat and the General" 9 "Witch Hunt" 99 "missing value: unspecified"
6 PERFORMANCE_TYPE Type of performance after which the survey was conducted. 1 "opera" 2 "theater" 3 "cabaret" 9 "missing value: unspecified"
7 ITEM_ORDER Order of questions 0 "pain; savoring" 1 "savoring; pain" 9 "missing value: unspecified"