Study of Affect Induction for Lab Induced Pain in Healthy Undergraduates

The goal of this clinical trial is to test if a mindfulness-enhanced positive affect induction (MPAI) works well to reduce pain intensity and pain unpleasantness from a cold water pain test in undergraduate college students who do not endorse ongoing medical or mental health diagnoses. The main questions it aims to answer are:Is the MPAI a feasible and acceptable psychological technique for managing brief pain?Does the MPAI work well to reduce pain intensity and unpleasantness from experimentally induced brief pain, compared to those using a breathing meditation or those instructed to respond naturally.Does using the MPAI work well to improve confidence in self-managing brief pain?Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires about their sleep, pain beliefs, and emotions after consenting to participate and at the end of the study session. They will then be randomized to either:Use the MPAI for managing pain induced by a cold water test (placing their hand in a container of cold water kept at approximately 5 degrees Celsius).Use a breathing meditation for managing pain induced by a cold water test (placing their hand in a container of cold water kept at approximately 5 degrees Celsius).Respond naturally to pain induced by a cold water test (placing their hand in a container of cold water kept at approximately 5 degrees Celsius).Researchers will compare the MPAI group to the breathing meditation and natural response groups to see if the MPAI group reports less pain from the cold water test and

Inclusion Criteria:University of Colorado StudentsAge 18-65Fluent in written and spoken EnglishExclusion Criteria:Presence of an untreated mood or psychiatric disorderPresence of a current chronic pain conditionPresence or history of Reynaud's syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, or unstable heart condition (including myocardial infarction, abnormal heart rhythms, or hypertension)Current use of prescription pain medication, high-dose anti-psychotics, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines, or gabapentinDay-of over the counter pain medication useMarijuana, Cannabidiol (CBD), or psilocybin use within three days of study participation (recency of use assessed via self-report)Food, caffeine, and nicotine are not to be had within 30 minutes of cold pressor test (nicotine patch not exclusionary due to stable/consistent state).