Figure 3.

Path analysis shows that group membership moderates analgesia through learning. We used participants’ impression ratings for the ingroup and outgroup treatment provider, which reflect individualized social priors, as a predictor variable (a). The individual learning signals from the right AI served as a mediator variable (b) and the individual pre- versus post-treatment differences in pain ratings entered as a dependent variable (c). In addition, we included treatment group (ingroup versus outgroup treatment) as a moderator variable to assess between-group model differences. The direct Path (c) from social context evaluation to pre- versus post-treatment changes in pain ratings was not significant. In the outgroup treatment group, social context evaluation affected the pain ratings indirectly via its impact on learning, as reflected by significant indirect path coefficients (Paths a and b). * p < 0.05; *** p < 0.001.