Familial pain models: the relationship between family history of pain and current pain experience.

Recent evidence has underscored the importance of parental models and vicarious learning in the etiology of pain behavior. The present study investigated the relationships between the number of familial pain models to which an individual has been exposed, the individual's reports of current pain experiences, and the role of gender. One hundred and twenty male and 168 female college students reporting occasional pain episodes completed the Parameters of Pain Questionnaire. Results indicated that a significant positive relationship exists between the number of pain models in an individual's familial environment and the frequency of his/her current pain reports. Additionally, pain models had a greater impact on females than on males. These findings are discussed in terms of vicarious learning and health locus of control processes.