On the day she is to be interviewed for an important new position,Rachel awakens with a severe toothache.During the interview she feels no pain;not until 30 minutes later does she become aware again of the troublesome toothache.Rachel's experience is best explained by

A) sensory interaction.
B) place theory.
C) the gate-control theory.
D) frequency theory.

The gate-control theory proposes that there is a "gate" in the spinal cord that can either allow or block pain signals from reaching the brain. The theory suggests that psychological and physical factors can influence the opening and closing of the gate. In Rachel's case, it is possible that the stress and focus of the interview acted as a psychological factor to close the gate temporarily, blocking her toothache pain. It was only after the interview ended and her focus shifted that the gate opened again and she became aware of the pain.