Study title
Parental anxiety: Cognitive-behavioural processes in the intergenerational transmission of fear to children
Creator
Field, A, University of Sussex
Study number / PID
10.5255/UKDA-SN-850543 (DOI)
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common psychological problem of childhood. Far from being an innocuous childhood trait, anxiety is now known to have a serious impact on children's lives interfering with their social and academic development. If left untreated, childhood anxiety can lead to also lead to depression and substance abuse. Anxiety runs in families: anxious parents are more likely to raise a child who is also anxious. Although genetic factors explain some of this linkage, a child's environment is crucial; In particular, children learn to be afraid through hearing frightening information or by seeing others being afraid of something. Children of anxious parents are likely to be at increased risk of exposure to this sort of fear learning. This research examines this possibility by testing whether anxious parents perceive their child's world as threatening. It will explore whether having such a bias influences subsequent behave with their child by testing Whether anxious parents give their children 'danger' information in a situation where they believe they will interact with a novel animal Whether they give out subtle, non-verbal clues that the animal is dangerous. Children's reactions to their parents 'danger' information and signs will also be observed