The Utility of the Implicit Association Test in the Measurement of Pain and Self-schema Enmeshment in Fibromyalgia Patients

Abstract

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a chronic, painful rheumatic condition characterized by recurrent musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and nonrestorative sleep, for which there is currently no biological marker. People who suffer from fibromyalgia are extremely susceptible to the effects of psychological stressors which may in turn exacerbate the symptoms of the disease. As unrelenting pain is the main symptom of fibromyalgia, it follows that patients would experience personal losses and changes in their self-schemas or the way in which they view themselves as a result. This study was particularly focused on identifying the enmeshment of self-schemas and pain-schemas, and the extent to which women with fibromyalgia experience pain and self-schema enmeshment (PSSE). Additionally, this study sought to determine the utility of using the Implicit Association Test as a measure of PSSE. The present study compared FMS patients to a group of diabetes patients on several measures of schema enmeshment, including the IAT. It was hypothesized that the two disease groups would differ significantly on the level of PSSE indicated by the IAT, and the two disease groups would not differ on enmeshment with illness indicated by the IAT. Additionally it was hypothesized that the IAT would be correlated with explicit measures of PSSE. Results did not support either of these hypotheses; however the sample size and statistical power necessary to test these hypotheses was severely lacking and thus they could not be evaluated in an appropriate manner. Results did not support the hypothesis that the IAT would be highly correlated with the explicit measures of PSSE. Based on these results and the existing literature, it is still somewhat unclear as to whether or not the IAT would be an acceptable/feasible tool in assessing PSSE in fibromyalgia patients.