What is the difference in meaning between perceived pain and observed pain?
To observe indicates that we watch carefully the way something happens or the way someone does something, especially in order to learn more about it, while perceive means to see or notice something.
Does this mean that perceived pain is that you can feel while observed pain is that you cannot?
Best Answer
Perceived pain would generally mean pain that is experienced by someone or a nonhuman animal, rather than something that is seen. We can infer this because pain is a psychological phenomenon that cannot be directly seen.
When the dentist tapped my tooth, I perceived a sharp pain.
We can assume that observed pain would generally be intended to mean seeing or noticing in another person or nonhuman animal one or more signs that are taken to indicate pain.
When I tapped the patient's #12 tooth, I observed a pain response.
In most contexts, careful communicators would usually avoid the phrase observed pain, unless it was first defined.