Temperature sensitivity and pain processing have been linked to psychopathology, yet findings remain mixed and comparability across studies is limited. There is a need for experimental settings that are well tolerated by participants, can be reliably monitored by experimenters, and enable reproducible procedures with computer-assisted data acquisition.

We developed a PsychoPy-based tool for a reaction-time–independent assessment of temperature sensitivity and pain processing via thermal induction. The tool controls and interfaces with a cold/hot plate. Participants provide self-ratings of pain perception on a touchscreen using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Hand–plate contact force is measured using load cells. By continuously and synchronously recording plate surface temperature, VAS ratings, and hand–plate contact force, the tool enables the computation of multiple indicators of pain sensitivity (e.g., pain threshold and tolerance) and behavioral factors (e.g., approach and avoidance tendencies) within a single experimental setting. Timestamped data further allow precise integration with concurrently assessed biomarkers (e.g., heart rate variability) and self-reports of affective states before and after an experimental run.

We present the tool and illustrate its application in studies involving children, adolescents, and adults. We demonstrate how key measures of pain sensitivity and processing can be derived. At the time of the conference, data collection for our ongoing adult study will be completed, and we will present results evaluating the validity and reliability of different experimental conditions (e.g., heat versus cold pain) as well as associations with psychopathology (e.g., depressive and borderline personality pathology).