Multidimensional scaling of pain experiences

Multidimensional scaling (ALSCAL) was used to analyze 25 terms that represent pain- producing stimuli, events, or popular clinical labels for pain-associated conditions. The resulting scale is noteworthy in that body parts cluster separately, consistent with a parallel mapping of a homunculus. The scale effectively clustered terms in a way that is interpretable in three dimensions (body location, speed of pain conduction, and body surface). In contrast to other multidimensional scaling analyses of pain terms, this analysis provided more of a perceptual mapping of the pain experience as an environmental property rather than of the qualities of the private event.