Essay - Gender Differences in the Perception of Pain Research Proposal Psychosocial...

Gender Differences in the Perception of Pain

Research Proposal

***** Approach to Understanding Factors Influencing Gender ***** in ***** Perception of Pain

Introduction/Background of the Study

Pain as a concept is commonly considered a physical experience, ***** reflected in its most-often cited definition, "pain is defined as the sensation that accompanies impending or ongoing tissue damage" (Hama, 2000:92). This definition primarily comes from ***** physiological dimension associated with *****. However, while it is an accurate description of the physiology that is pain, this defin*****ion does not take into account o*****r *****s in ***** individual's life that could be associated with pain, such as psychological and social factors.

***** factors are closely related to physiological processes associated ***** pain; ***** factors, meanwhile, ***** radically different in the sense ***** ***** external environment is purported to ***** also influential ***** pain the individual perceives and **********, and ***** just h*****/her body and ***** bodily reactions. Combining both psychological ***** social aspects ***** to pain, in ***** opinion of the researcher, would give the study on ***** a holistic approach. This holistic approach is pursued in this proposed study, wherein both ***** and ***** ***** are accounted for to determine if indeed, individual attitudes towards pain and social environment play a critic*****l role in determining the threshold ***** tolerance of the individual to pain.

***** than just providing a holistic approach ***** studying pain by including ***** psychological and social factors to this concept, ***** ***** is also proposing that the analys***** of pain be taken fur*****r ***** specifically studying specific segments ***** the society. Hama (2000) posited that among the demographic differences among individuals, the sex of the individual are considered to be significantly related to one's perception of pain. The author found out in his study of pain ***** females perceive pain more ***** greater than males, and ***** is attributed to the '***** in function ***** ***** male and female sensory organs.' Further, fe***** were found to be "***** sensitive to visual, olfactory, and gustatory stimuli than males" (276). T***** evidence, supported by other extant literature ***** in Hama's study, proved that *****deed, ***** dif*****rences significantly influences the way ***** ***** females perceive and react to pain.

Hama's study is useful in determining the effective treatment for ***** with ***** *****s and *****lerance to pain. While it is establ*****hed ***** physiologically, males ***** ***** differ on how they perceive pain, it is also interesting to establ*****h if, more than just biological differences, percepti***** of ***** is also dependent on psychological ***** such as personality, and social factors ***** as pain experienced by the individual as perceived and reported ***** medical practitioners and family members.

*****h***** proposed research study focuses on the psycho-social factors influential to ***** ***** ***** the *****. Furthermore, this ***** study will look ***** gender differences between males and females, *****ing at how differently ***** perceive pain that they experience, based ***** their personalities and on how ***** professionals ***** family members perceived the ***** they experienced