Covariation bias in flight phobics.
Covariation estimates (CEs) between fear-relevant (FR) stimuli (slides of airplane crash sites) or fear-irrelevant (FI) stimuli (slides of airplanes in flight or mushrooms) and an aversive outcome (electrical shock) were examined in 15 flight phobics (high-fear participants) and 15 non-flight-phobic individuals (low-fear participants) by means of an illusory correlation experiment. In spite of a random relationship between all slide categories and outcome (illusory correlation), flight phobics exhibited a covariation bias and showed higher CEs for the contingency between FR slides and shocks than for the contingency between FI slides and shocks in a first experimental block. The CEs of flight phobics for FR slides and shocks was significantly higher than that of non-flight-phobic individuals, while high- and low-fear participants did not differ in their CEs for the other slide-shock combinations. However, even high-fear individuals were able to correct their initial covariation bias in subsequent illusory correlation blocks, presumably based on disconfirming situational information.
Pauli
P
P
Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany. Paul.Pauli@uni-tuebingen.de
Wiedemann
G
G
Montoya
P
P
D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000401:Aircraft; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001244:Association; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004597:Electroshock; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D014796:Visual Perception