A developmental analysis of threat/safety learning and extinction recall during middle childhood

By: Michalska K.J., Shechner T., Hong M., Britton J.C., Leibenluft E., Pine D.S., Fox N.A.
Published in: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
SDGs : SDG 03  |  Units: Social Sciences  | Time: 2016 |  Link
Description: The current study examined developmental changes in fear learning and generalization in 54 healthy 5-10-year old childre n using a novel fear conditioning paradigm. In this task, the conditioned stimuli (CS+/CS-) were two blue and yellow colored cartoon bells, and the unconditioned stimulus was an unpleasant loud alarm sound presented with a red cartoon bell. Physiological and subjective data were acquired. Three weeks after conditioning, 48 of these participants viewed the CS-, CS+, and morphed images resembling the CS+. Participants made threat-safety discriminations while appraising threat and remembering the CS+. Although no age-related differences in fear learning emerged, patterns of generalization were qualified by child age. Older children demonstrated better discrimination between the CS+ and CS morphs than younger age groups and also reported more fear to stimuli resembling the CS+ than younger children. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed. © 2016 .