title: Fear-related confirmation bias in children: a comparison between neutral- and dangerous-looking animals.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine confirmation bias in children without explicitly inducing fear. Eighty non-clinical children (7-13 years) were shown pictures of a neutral animal (quokka) and two dangerous-looking animals (aye aye and possum). For each animal, levels of perceived fear, threat and request for additional threatening or non-threatening information were obtained. A behavioral approach test (BAT) was included as behavioral measure of fear. The results indicated that the aye aye and possum were rated as more threatening and fearful than the quokka. For the aye aye and possum higher fear levels coincided with search for more threatening than non-threatening information. This pattern was absent in non-fearful children and for the non-threatening quokka. During the BAT the quokka was more often approached first compared to the aye aye and possum. Our findings suggest that confirmation bias in children can be observed without using verbal fear induction.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Pauline.Dibbets@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dibbets
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fliek
authors.forename: Cor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meesters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 1983;21(6):685-92
references.pmid: 6661153
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2006 Oct;44(10):1491-502
references.pmid: 16360117
references.citation: Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(1):7-20
references.pmid: 19432384
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 1997 Aug;106(3):486-90
references.pmid: 9241952
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 1997 Jan;35(1):49-58
references.pmid: 9009043
references.citation: J Anxiety Disord. 2010 Jun;24(5):540-6
references.pmid: 20409677
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2011 Oct;49(10):606-13
references.pmid: 21763640
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2000 Aug;38(8):763-76
references.pmid: 10937425
references.citation: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2011 Jun;42(2):139-44
references.pmid: 21315873
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2009 Mar;47(3):206-14
references.pmid: 19135650
references.citation: Emotion. 2007 May;7(2):336-53
references.pmid: 17516812
references.citation: J Couns Psychol. 2012 Oct;59(4):518-27
references.pmid: 23088683
references.citation: Psychol Rev. 2001 Jul;108(3):483-522
references.pmid: 11488376
references.citation: Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2010;2:21-35
references.pmid: 21309104
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 1997 Jun;35(6):507-16
references.pmid: 9159974
references.citation: Clin Psychol Rev. 2009 Aug;29(6):459-70
references.pmid: 19552990
references.citation: Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2014 Sep;113:135-42
references.pmid: 24183838
references.citation: Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2010 Jun;13(2):129-50
references.pmid: 20198423
references.citation: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2014 Mar;45(1):26-32
references.pmid: 23933089
references.citation: J Exp Child Psychol. 2004 Dec;89(4):320-37
references.pmid: 15560877