Age Differences in Thermal Pain Responses: A Direct Laboratory Comparison

This study examines age-related disparities in pain responses, specifically the hypothesis that older adults display greater stoicism when expressing pain. The research involves a direct comparison of verbal and nonverbal pain reactions between younger and older adults within a singular experimental study. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, findings indicate similar verbal and non-verbal pain responses across age groups, dispelling the notion that older adults inherently exhibit more stoic pain expression.