Stimulus fear-relevance and the vicarious learning pathway to childhood fears

Article

Askew, C., Dunne, G., Ozdil, Z., Reynolds, G. and Field, A. 2013. Stimulus fear-relevance and the vicarious learning pathway to childhood fears. Emotion. 13 (5), pp. 915-925. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032714
TypeArticle
TitleStimulus fear-relevance and the vicarious learning pathway to childhood fears
AuthorsAskew, C., Dunne, G., Ozdil, Z., Reynolds, G. and Field, A.
Abstract

Enhanced fear learning for fear-relevant stimuli has been demonstrated in procedures with adults in the laboratory. Three experiments investigated the effect of stimulus fear-relevance on vicarious fear learning in children (aged 6–11 years). Pictures of stimuli with different levels of fear-relevance (flowers, caterpillars, snakes, worms, and Australian marsupials) were presented alone or together with scared faces. In line with previous studies, children’s fear beliefs and avoidance preferences increased for stimuli they had seen with scared faces. However, in contrast to evidence with adults, learning was mostly similar for all stimulus types irrespective of fear-relevance. The results support a proposal that stimulus preparedness is bypassed when children observationally learn threat-related information from adults.

PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA)
JournalEmotion
ISSN1528-3542
Electronic1931-1516
Publication dates
Print31 Oct 2013
Publication process dates
Deposited23 Apr 2015
Output statusPublished
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032714
LanguageEnglish
Permalink -

https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8518w

Log in to edit
  • 47
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

The effectiveness of individual and group canine assisted interventions in improving mental health in higher education students
Manville, K., Coulson, M. and Reynolds, G. 2024. The effectiveness of individual and group canine assisted interventions in improving mental health in higher education students. People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice. 7 (1).
An exploratory randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of different duration of canine-assisted interventions in higher education students
Manville, K, Coulson, M and Reynolds, G. 2023. An exploratory randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of different duration of canine-assisted interventions in higher education students. Human-Animal Interactions. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2023.0038
Effects of canine-assisted intervention on the mental health of higher education students: a systematic review
Manville, K., Coulson, M., Mulqueen, M., Neller, K., Searing, C., Welland, S. and Reynolds, G. 2022. Effects of canine-assisted intervention on the mental health of higher education students: a systematic review. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin. 13 (1), pp. 111-145. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2022.0012
Canine-assisted intervention reduces anxiety and stress in higher education students: a randomized controlled trial
Manville, K., Coulson, M. and Reynolds, G. 2022. Canine-assisted intervention reduces anxiety and stress in higher education students: a randomized controlled trial. Society & Animals: Journal of Human-Animal Studies. 32 (2), pp. 156-177. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-bja10101
Paranoid and misidentification subtypes of psychosis in dementia
Pearce, D., Gould, R., Roughley, M., Reynolds, G., Ward, E., Bhome, R. and Reeves, S. 2022. Paranoid and misidentification subtypes of psychosis in dementia. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 134, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104529
The soundscape of neonatal intensive care: a mixed-methods study of the parents' experience
Chifa, M., Hadar, T., Politimou, N., Reynolds, G. and Franco, F. 2021. The soundscape of neonatal intensive care: a mixed-methods study of the parents' experience. Children. 8 (8). https://doi.org/10.3390/children8080644
Children's sleepiness facilitates the effect of vicarious learning on the development of fear
Reynolds, G. and Ewing, D. 2021. Children's sleepiness facilitates the effect of vicarious learning on the development of fear. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105129
Effects of vicarious disgust learning on the development of fear, disgust, and attentional biases in children
Reynolds, G. and Askew, C. 2019. Effects of vicarious disgust learning on the development of fear, disgust, and attentional biases in children. Emotion. 19 (7), p. 1268–1283. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000511
The effects of exposure to images of others’ suffering and vulnerability on altruistic, trust-based, and reciprocated economic decision-making
Powell, P., Wills, O., Reynolds, G., Puustinen-Hopper, K. and Roberts, J. 2018. The effects of exposure to images of others’ suffering and vulnerability on altruistic, trust-based, and reciprocated economic decision-making. PLoS ONE. 13 (3), p. e0194569. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194569
The effect of stimulus duration on over-selectivity: evidence for the role of within-compound associations
Reynolds, G. and Reed, P. 2018. The effect of stimulus duration on over-selectivity: evidence for the role of within-compound associations. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition. 44 (3), pp. 293-308. https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000175
TNF alpha inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review
Ekert, J., Gould, R., Reynolds, G. and Howard, R. 2018. TNF alpha inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 33 (5), pp. 688-694. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4871
Predictors of treatment outcome in depression in later life: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Tunvirachaisakul, C., Gould, R., Coulson, M., Ward, E., Reynolds, G., Gathercole, R., Grocott, H., Supasitthumrong, T., Tunvirachaisakul, A., Kimona, K. and Howard, R. 2018. Predictors of treatment outcome in depression in later life: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. 227, pp. 164-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.10.008
Reductions in children’s vicariously learnt avoidance and heart rate responses using positive modeling
Reynolds, G., Field, A. and Askew, C. 2018. Reductions in children’s vicariously learnt avoidance and heart rate responses using positive modeling. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 47 (4), pp. 555-568. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2016.1138410
A comparison of positive vicarious learning and verbal information for reducing vicariously learned fear
Reynolds, G., Wasely, D., Dunne, G. and Askew, C. 2018. A comparison of positive vicarious learning and verbal information for reducing vicariously learned fear. Cognition and Emotion. 32 (6), pp. 1166-1177. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2017.1389695
Stimulus fear relevance and the speed, magnitude, and robustness of vicariously learned fear
Dunne, G., Reynolds, G. and Askew, C. 2017. Stimulus fear relevance and the speed, magnitude, and robustness of vicariously learned fear. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 95, pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.05.002
Learning to fear a second-order stimulus following vicarious learning
Reynolds, G., Field, A. and Askew, C. 2017. Learning to fear a second-order stimulus following vicarious learning. Cognition and Emotion. 31 (3), pp. 572-579. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2015.1116978
Inhibition of vicariously learned fear in children using positive modeling and prior exposure
Askew, C., Reynolds, G., Fielding-Smith, S. and Field, A. 2016. Inhibition of vicariously learned fear in children using positive modeling and prior exposure. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 125 (2), pp. 279-291. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000131
The strength and generality of stimulus over-selectivity in simultaneous discrimination procedures
Reynolds, G. and Reed, P. 2011. The strength and generality of stimulus over-selectivity in simultaneous discrimination procedures. Learning and Motivation. 42 (2), pp. 113-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2010.12.001
Effects of schedule of reinforcement on over-selectivity
Reynolds, G. and Reed, P. 2011. Effects of schedule of reinforcement on over-selectivity. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 32 (6), pp. 2489-2501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2011.07.011
Preventing the development of observationally learnt fears in children by devaluing the model's negative response
Reynolds, G., Field, A. and Askew, C. 2015. Preventing the development of observationally learnt fears in children by devaluing the model's negative response. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 43 (7), pp. 1355-1367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0004-0
Effect of vicarious fear learning on children's heart rate responses and attentional bias for novel animals
Reynolds, G., Field, A. and Askew, C. 2014. Effect of vicarious fear learning on children's heart rate responses and attentional bias for novel animals. Emotion. 14 (5), pp. 995-1006. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037225
The effect of disgust and fear modeling on children’s disgust and fear for animals
Askew, C., Çakır, K., Põldsam, L. and Reynolds, G. 2014. The effect of disgust and fear modeling on children’s disgust and fear for animals. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 123 (3), pp. 566-577. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037228
Effect of a surprising downward shift in reinforcer value on stimulus over-selectivity in a simultaneous discrimination procedure
Reynolds, G. and Reed, P. 2013. Effect of a surprising downward shift in reinforcer value on stimulus over-selectivity in a simultaneous discrimination procedure. Learning and Motivation. 44 (1), pp. 31-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2012.05.007
Lack of evidence for inhibitory processes in over-selectivity
Reynolds, G., Watts, J. and Reed, P. 2012. Lack of evidence for inhibitory processes in over-selectivity. Behavioural Processes. 89 (1), pp. 14-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2011.09.008
Revaluation manipulations produce emergence of underselected stimuli following simultaneous discrimination in humans
Reed, P., Reynolds, G. and Fermandel, L. 2012. Revaluation manipulations produce emergence of underselected stimuli following simultaneous discrimination in humans. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 65 (7), pp. 1345-1360. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2012.656663