Age Differences in Information Processing Biases in Spider Fear

Abstract

This study investigated biases in interpretation (e.g., evaluation of the dangerousness of spiders) and memory (preferential recall of spider stimuli) in spider fearful and non-fearful children (n = 59; ages 9-11) and young adults (n = 61; ages 18-21). Of interest were: (a) whether biases are present in high fear persons, and (b) whether biases can predict subjective distress and avoidance in response to a feared stimulus. Results showed that spider specific interpretation and memory biases are present in high fear adults, but not in high fear children. Only the spider specific interpretation bias significantly predicted anxious responding on its own, and did so in adults only. Findings are discussed in terms of cognitive models of anxiety, as well as developmental and methodological considerations that may have made it difficult to observe biased processing in the child sample.General cognitive models of anxiety predict that individuals suffering from extreme fear and anxiety will demonstrate biases in the ways they attend to, interpret, and remember information (e.g., Beck & Emery, with Greenberg, 1985). These models have improved our understanding about the onset, maintenance, and treatment of anxiety difficulties. However, cognitive models have primarily focused on describing biased processing in anxious adults. yet, the early and chronic course of many anxiety disorders (Newman et al., 1996; see review by Cartwright-Hatton, McNicol, & Doubleday, 2006) suggests that further research exploring information processing biases in childhood anxiety is needed.