1-110 - Factors Influencing Fear Learning and Fear Reduction in Childhood

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

A wealth of research has suggested that fears can be acquired in childhood via direct learning or indirectly via vicarious learning processes. Similarly, well-established associative learning mechanisms such as extinction and counterconditioning often form the theoretical underpinning for successful fear reduction interventions. Yet relatively little is known about how environmental and developmental factors impact on fear learning and reduction in childhood. This symposium brings together a series of studies that aim to define and explain these influences. Gemma Reynolds will discuss research investigating the effects of sleep problems and sleepiness on vicarious fear learning in children, showing that state (but not trait) sleepiness predicts vicarious learning of fear cognitions, while only trait sleepiness predicts learned avoidance. Carol Newall will present data showing that both exposure and positive visual information reduce vicariously learned fear responses, but that the latter may be most important for lowering children’s actual avoidance. Extending this theme, Chris Askew will describe a series of findings suggesting that the success of interventions aimed at preventing vicarious fear learning may be determined in part by the mode of their delivery (verbally or visually), but that this is less important for post-learning fear-reduction interventions. Finally, Allison Waters will discuss developmental influences on fear conditioning, extinction and the return of fear. These findings indicate that children differ from adolescents in their learning about the safety of a stimulus during fear conditioning and also show impaired extinction retention compared to adults and adolescents.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Chris Askew, University of Surrey

Individual Presentations

• Sleep problems and sleepiness as predictors and moderators of vicarious fear learning - Presenting Author: Gemma Reynolds, Middlesex University; Donna Ewing, University of Brighton

• Put on a Happy Face: The Relative Effectiveness of Positive Information versus Extinction in Reducing Learned Fear - Presenting Author: Carol Newall, Macquarie University; Tiffany Watson, Macquarie University; Kerry-Ann Grant, Macquarie University

• Prevention and reversal of vicarious fear learning in 6-11 year olds - Presenting Author: Chris Askew, University of Surrey; Gemma Reynolds, Middlesex University; Sarah Fielding-Smith, University of Sussex; David Wasely, Middlesex University; Güler Dunne, Kingston University; Andy P Field, University of Sussex

• Developmental differences in Pavlovian fear acquisition, extinction and reinstatement - Presenting Author: Allison M. Waters, Griffith University; Cindy Theresiana, Griffith University; Michelle G. Craske, UCLA