%0 Journal Article
%T The verbal threat information pathway to fear in children: the longitudinal effects on fear cognitions and the immediate effects on avoidance behavior
%J Journal of abnormal psychology
%D 2008
%A Field, Andy P.
%A Lawson, Joanne
%A Banerjee, Robin
%V 117
%N 1
%P 214-224
%X Verbal information has long been assumed to be an indirect pathway to fear. Children (aged 6-8 or 12-13 years) were exposed to threat, positive, or no information about 3 novel animals to see the long-term impact on their fear cognitions and the immediate impact on avoidance behavior. Their directly (self-report) and indirectly (implicit association task) measured attitudes toward the animals changed congruent with the information provided, and the changes persisted up to 6 months later. Verbal threat information also induced behavioral avoidance of the animal. Younger children formed stronger animal- threat and animal-safe associations because of threat and positive verbal information than older children, but there were negligible age effects on self-reported fear beliefs and avoidance behaviors. These results support theories of fear acquisition that suppose that verbal information affects components of the fear emotion.<p /><p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I American Psychological Association
%@ 0021-843X
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.117.1.214