title: A dirty animal is a scary animal! Effects of disgust-related information on fear beliefs in children.
abstract: The present study investigated whether disgust-valenced information has an impact on children's fear beliefs about animals. Non-clinical children aged between 9 and 13 years (n=159) were presented with disgust-related and cleanliness-related information about unknown animals (Australian marsupials). Before and after information, beliefs of disgust and fear regarding the animals were assessed. Results showed that disgust-related information not only induced higher levels of disgust but also increased children's fear beliefs in relation to these animals. The other way around, cleanliness-related information decreased levels of disgust and resulted in lower levels of fear. The implications for the role of disgust in the development of animal fear are briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. muris@fsw.eur.nl
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muris
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Jorg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huijding
authors.forename: Tjeerd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konings
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004644:Emotions; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008394:Marsupialia; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome