I know from experience that if you deliberately manually fully close the outflow valve in a 737-200 at 30,000 ft at the beginning of a rapid descent due to uncommanded cabin rate of climb, (not a rapid depressurisation). the cabin altitude went from 11,000 ft to around 3000 ft in about one minute. The ear pain was almost intolerable. The initial problem turned out to be a defective pressurisation controller. The captain (self) over-reacted to the cabin warning horn thinking it was an impending rapid depressurisation and told the F/O to close the outflow valve when it transpired that was unnecessary under the circumstances.
All we had was an uncommand pressurisation change resulting in a cabin rate of climb of approx. 1500 FPM. All our previous training in the simulator had been rapid depressurisation after the cabin altitude warning had sounded and we were hot wired to react instantly instead of taking out time to don masks and then methodically trouble shoot the reason for the warning. We never practiced trying to get the cabin under control first. Not making excuses for the stuff up but I believe our previous training in the simulator could have accented the difference in crew actions between a rapid depressurisation (and emergency descent scenario) and a mere uncommanded cabin rate of climb. One thing for sure and that is you don't play around with the outflow valve when airborne because cabin rate of change of pressure is unbelievably fast as will be passengers complaints of pain to their ears.