Exploring the role of tactile stimuli on the experience of pain
09 June 2025
We are seeking pairs of same-sex friends (1 participant and 1 friend) for a 40-minute lab study exploring the role of tactile stimuli on the experience of pain. Participants will complete some questionnaires and a series of 5 cold pain tasks whilst wearing a heart rate monitor. The cold pain task involves placing your hand in cold (4°C) water until it is too painful and you remove your hand. The friend will gently stroke the participant's arm. As a thank you, you will receive a £5 voucher each.
Requirements
- Eligible participants must:
- - Be aged 18 or over
- - Bring a same-sex friend you feel comfortable with
- - Be fluent in English
- - Not have chronic or acute pain
- - Not have allodynia (find gentle touch painful)
- - Not have vascular problems (e.g. Raynaud’s syndrome)
- - Not have a pacemaker
- - Not be pregnant
- - Not have scars, tattoos, or eczema
- Eligible friends must:
- - Be aged 18 or over
- - Be a friend of the individual
Keywords
Ethical approval
This study has been approved by the Liverpool John Moores University Research Ethics Committee. Reference Number: PsyREC-226-2425.
