The inflation of fear responses due to US revaluation following vicarious learning

Vicarious learning has become an established pathway to fear acquisition. It is generally accepted that associative learning processes underlie vicarious learning. However, what type of association is formed remains unclear. Two possibilities exist; stimulus-stimulus or stimulus-response learning. Traditionally, these types of learning can be dissociated in a US revaluation procedure. To examine US revaluation in the current experiment, children either viewed a scared vicarious learning video or a neutral vicarious learning video. Following this, an inflation group were presented with still images of the adults in the video, and were told that the accompanied sound and image of a very fast heart rate monitor belonged to the adult in the image. A deflation group were shown the same images but with the sound and image of a normal heart rate. Fear beliefs, avoidance behaviour, avoidance intentions and physiological responses were measured. Results, theoretical and clinical implications for treatment are discussed.