There are other findings concerning this hand surgery group that

 have not been previously reported. Subjects with a forceful coping

 style had a more sensory response to their pain as indicated by signifi-

 cantly higher scores on the sensory pain rating index (PRIS). In

 addition, they scored significantly higher on the miscellaneous category

 (PRIM) and the overall pain rating index (PRIT). Million's theory claims

 that the strategies that guide coping behavior are concerned with how

 the individual performs in order to obtain the reinforcement he or she

 is seeking. From this perspective, the findings for the forceful

 personality style are logical. These subjects chose the words with the

 highest ranked values to describe their pain, logical for these active,

 independent, domineering types of people. They have learned from

 childhood to use the strongest language to achieve the reinforcement

 they seek.

 Hand surgery patients with sensitive coping styles had signifi-

cantly higher scores on the evaluative pain rating index (PRIE). This

group is described as complainers who often have mood changes and choose

the highest ranked words on the evaluative scale. This scale uses terms

ranging from "annoying" to "unbearable" and is meant to measure the

overall subjective intensity of the pain experience. A possible

explanation for this finding is that these subjects were more dependent

and passive and sought their reinforcement in a subjective, evaluative

manner rather than a more objective sensory way. It is also important

to note that Melzack (1975) states that most subjects, regardless of

type of pain, chose an evaluative word, and they had no way of knowing

these words represented a special category. If we accept the rank