SIGNAL-DETECTION THEORY AND PSYCHOPHYSICS OF PAIN - INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW

A brief explanation of signal detection theory is presented, followed by a review of the literature in which differences in pain report were analyzed if changes were in sensitivity (physiological processes) or in response bias (a human subject''s willingness to report that a signal occurred). Three kinds of studies are reviewed: modification, procedural and comparative and normative. The advantages of using a signal detection approach in pain research are emphasized. Experimenters applying signal detection analysis to pain research should give greater consideration to methodological procedures and be cognizant of all possibilities for shifts in sensitivity (d'').