This follow up study has generated findings similar to their early study (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Apparently, no experimental study on the comparison between visual and auditory pain reductions has been conducted (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). The prevalence of art works in different medical institution signifies the belief on the output of some researches that positive visual images can assuage the intensity of pain (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Thus, in this study, Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen aimed to compare the efficacy of visual images and music engagement on the reduction of pain.
The music chosen by respective patients and fifteen famous paintings were utilized in this study. For the efficient mechanism detection of pain reduction, they employed silence control. Also, anxiety measurement was included for lessening of pain entails reduction of anxiety. Further, listening behavior instrument was utilized for the assessment of the role of music to one’s choice of songs and music genre, and its significance in pain reduction (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Participants and Procedure
The participants, recruited and paid, were university students, staff, and their colleagues and friends (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Their ages ranged from eighteen to thirty eight years with an average of twenty one years. Then, screening was done to determine their medical history which included epilepsy, circulatory and blood pressure irregularity, chronic pain, heart problem, and serious injury. Nonetheless, the actual interview was done in a sound-attenuated laboratory located in a university.
Eighty participants were subjected thrice into cold compressor under silence control, music, and painting preference conditions in a counterbalanced order (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Meanwhile, the repeated measures design approach was utilized in this study. This is the preferred approach in dealing with the assessment of individual difference with respect to perception of pain and response (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Thus, the dependent variables investigated were state anxiety, pain intensity, tolerance time, and control over pain.
After data gathering, a mixed design analysis of variance was performed for statistical treatment of all variables involved (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Instruments The instrument Jeiotech model VTRC 620 from Seoul in South Korea was utilized for cold pressor induction while hand temperature was measured by digital thermometer (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). In addition, the distracting stimuli were generated by playing their chosen music CD or cassette tapes by means of appropriate player, by selecting paintings from the fifteen collections through LCD projection, and by their self-brought artwork.
The tolerance time was measured by a stopwatch from the immersion time until to the time that the participant withdrawn his or her hand. Also, the pain intensity was rated based on 100-mm visual analog scale or VAS (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). The participants were told to mark the extent of discomfort from its absence to the possible worst case. Similarly, the control over pain was determined by a 100-mm VAS wherein each participant rated the degree of their pain management from “not at all” to “completely” (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008).
In the same manner, the pain rating index or PRI from McGill Pain Questionnaire was used for self-reported degree of pain from sensory to affective or evaluative domain (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Stimulus distraction was rated through a 100-mm distraction rating scale from “not at all” to “completely” description (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). For the state of anxiety measurement, an abridged form of State Anxiety Questionnaire by Spielberg was utilized.
The participants rated their anxiety state from one to seven which corresponds to “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree” respectively (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). Lastly, each participant completed the questionnaire for listening behavior from Mitchell, Serpell, MacDonald, and Knussen questionnaire in 2007 (Mitchell, MacDonald, and Knussen, 2008). This questionnaire intended to evaluate the significance of the preferred music for each participant including their knowledge on its lyrics, melody, rhythm, periodic playing of the music, their ability to play a musical instrument, and its emotional effect on their part.