Amiya Game Theory

They aren't designed to literally mimic the face of someone in pain.

They're more for when a patient is struggling to describe the pain level.

They can look at the chart and point to what feels accurate.

So sorry, scrubs, I'm enjoying your reboot, but I can't give you the accuracy point, I'm afraid.

Fortunately, there are other ways to measure pain that do come from the direct observation of a person.

Studies have found an extensive list of expressions and behaviors associated with someone feeling pain, and that these behaviors and expressions can be involuntary.

These studies have been turned into checklists that carers can use when they take care of patients who are unable to verbally express themselves or even fully understand their pain, such as those with things like Alzheimer's or dementia.

It's called the Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors with Limited Ability to Communicate, or the PACSLAC.

It breaks down into these categories.

Involuntary noises, which are things like saying ow or screaming when in pain without any control.

Facial expressions and changes in physical movements are things like stiff movements or limping due to the pain.

And then there's the non-physical changes that happen when you're in pain that may be a little trickier to notice, like changes in habits or social behavior.

So with this list, we can observe Mario and the damage we put him through to assess for ourselves if Mario does feel all of those steps into the lava and bonks from a Koopa shell.

We're also going to be focusing on the 3D Mario games.

This is because in these games, Mario has a life gauge, which means we can take damage from something a few times and watch Mario's reactions.

Also, these games feature a lot more unique damage and death scenarios like drowning, fall damage, and taking hits from the environment.

Sorry, my Italian friend.

We're going to be putting you through a lot of tests today and they're gonna hurt.

Or, you know, maybe not.

That's why we're here after all.