Abstract
The use of ego-involvement in laboratory studies of attitudes necessitates the development of procedures designed to test whether or not involvement was successfully induced. In addition, such tests should be independent of predicted dependent variable effects. The present study reports the use of pain-tolerance measures to indicate the success of instructionally induced ego-involvement. As part of an investigation studying ego-involvement effects on psychophysical judgments, an Involvement condition ( N = 36) and a Control group ( N = 36) were given pre- and post-experimental assessments of pressure and cold-pressor pain-tolerance. The pre-experimental measures served as a baseline from which to compare changes in pain-tolerance following either ego-involving or standard instructions which were introduced in conjunction with a statement that connected pain-tolerance with participation in future experiments. Results reliably indicated that Ss in Involvement condition increase and Controls lower their pain-tolerance on the post-experimental measures. The general usefulness of the technique in attitude studies is discussed.