ABSTRACT
Much of present day research on pain is conducted within the paradigm of traditional science, with its emphasis on testing hypotheses derived from existing theories and on quantification and data analysis through statistical manipulation (Pain, 1975–1997). Such research is heavily reliant on laboratory studies and the use of animal models, and it focuses primarily on mechanisms of nociception and the intensity dimension of pain. Even in clinical research, pain, which is among the most subjective and private of human experiences, is frequently operationalized and reduced to observable behaviors or measurable indicators that facilitate the particular research but fail to capture the complexity and richness of the human experience of pain.
