November 16 2024
Gyeonghyun Cho
Researchers at Radboud University of the Netherlands, headed by Dr. Dimana Atanasova, were able to find one such association between high pain tolerance and psychopathic traits. Results indicated that individuals with psychopathic tendencies were more likely to bear up well under pain but could not modify behavior in accordance with negative experiences, unlike most people learning from discomfort or punishment.
The 106 participants completed a questionnaire about their traits, which are associated with psychopathy, including a lack of empathy and impulsivity. Then, electrodes were attached to their arms that delivered electric shocks of escalating intensity. Researchers recorded the point at which participants first felt pain and also the maximum level they could endure. Results showed that those with stronger psychopathic traits tolerated significantly higher levels of pain, with some enduring up to the device's maximum current of 9.99mA.
A second experiment had participants choose cards of two colors, after which small monetary rewards or penalties were administered. In one round, the wrong choice produced electric shocks randomly. Participants did not know this beforehand. It came out that the higher the psychopathic tendency, the more persons stuck with choosing the same card repeatedly after electric shocks, reinforcing the concept of "belief perseverance" because they would repeat an action despite its negative outcome.
Dr. Atanasova said these findings point to a possible connection between pain tolerance and psychopathic traits; thus, insensitivity to one's own or others' pain may reflect more general personality risks. The study underlines the fact that endurance of pain is considered a strength by many, while a low response to discomfort is also one of the important features of certain personality traits.