Asked by Kaleigh Graves on Apr 27, 2024

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Patients who have negative expectations about the outcome of a surgical procedure may experience increased postoperative pain. This best illustrates the importance of

A) accommodation.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) difference thresholds.
D) top-down processing.

Top-Down Processing

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.

Postoperative Pain

Pain experienced by patients after undergoing surgical procedures.

Negative Expectations

Anticipatory beliefs or thoughts that lead to experiencing negative outcomes because one unconsciously conforms their behavior to those beliefs.

  • Understand how expectations and prior experiences can influence perception.
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Samantha HunterApr 27, 2024
Final Answer :
D
Explanation :
Top-down processing refers to how our expectations, beliefs, and prior knowledge can influence our perception and processing of sensory information. In this case, a patient's negative expectations about the outcome of a surgical procedure can influence their perception of postoperative pain, even if the pain is not actually more severe than it would be for a patient with positive expectations.