View in EDS

The Role of Caregiver Attachment in Vicarious Fear Learning in Children

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Role of Caregiver Attachment in Vicarious Fear Learning in Children
Language: English
Authors: Gemma Reynolds, Andrea Oskis
Source: Social Development. 2026 35(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Fear, Observation, Experience, Attachment Behavior, Parent Child Relationship, Child Behavior, Mothers, Fathers, Animals, Children, Preadolescents, Foreign Countries, Visual Stimuli, Anxiety, Trust (Psychology)
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (London)
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment
DOI: 10.1111/sode.70040
ISSN: 0961-205X
1467-9507
Abstract: Vicarious learning is the process through which individuals acquire fear responses by observing others behaving fearfully. The current study investigates how attachment to parents may moderate vicarious fear learning in children. Although attachment to caregivers plays a crucial role in emotional regulation, its potential to moderate fear learning via vicarious experiences remains underexplored. Experiment 1 showed no moderating effect of attachment when strangers served as models. In Experiment 2, where mothers served as the models, attachment quality did not significantly affect fear beliefs. However, attachment was related to avoidance behaviour. Specifically, children's avoidance of the fear-paired animal post-learning was greater when maternal trust and overall attachment quality were lower. For paternal attachment, avoidance of the fear-paired animal was associated with overall attachment quality and communication. Hierarchical analyses confirmed that maternal trust and paternal trust and communication moderated changes in avoidance from pre- to post-learning. Additionally, the touch box task showed that maternal attachment, particularly alienation, influenced approach behaviour toward the fear-paired animal, whereas paternal attachment did not. Children with stronger maternal attachment and better communication were slower to approach the fear-paired animal. These findings suggest that lower attachment quality is linked to greater avoidance of fear-related stimuli, highlighting the role of attachment in shaping behavioural, rather than cognitive, responses in vicarious fear learning. The results contribute to understanding the complex interplay between attachment and emotional learning, suggesting potential pathways for further research into specific attachment dimensions and other moderators of vicarious fear learning.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1495481
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1495481
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The Role of Caregiver Attachment in Vicarious Fear Learning in Children
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gemma+Reynolds%22">Gemma Reynolds</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Andrea+Oskis%22">Andrea Oskis</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Social+Development%22"><i>Social Development</i></searchLink>. 2026 35(1).
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 14
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fear%22">Fear</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Observation%22">Observation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experience%22">Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attachment+Behavior%22">Attachment Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Behavior%22">Child Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fathers%22">Fathers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Animals%22">Animals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preadolescents%22">Preadolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Visual+Stimuli%22">Visual Stimuli</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anxiety%22">Anxiety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trust+%28Psychology%29%22">Trust (Psychology)</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom+%28London%29%22">United Kingdom (London)</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22State+Trait+Anxiety+Inventory+for+Children%22">State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Inventory+of+Parent+and+Peer+Attachment%22">Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1111/sode.70040
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0961-205X<br />1467-9507
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Vicarious learning is the process through which individuals acquire fear responses by observing others behaving fearfully. The current study investigates how attachment to parents may moderate vicarious fear learning in children. Although attachment to caregivers plays a crucial role in emotional regulation, its potential to moderate fear learning via vicarious experiences remains underexplored. Experiment 1 showed no moderating effect of attachment when strangers served as models. In Experiment 2, where mothers served as the models, attachment quality did not significantly affect fear beliefs. However, attachment was related to avoidance behaviour. Specifically, children's avoidance of the fear-paired animal post-learning was greater when maternal trust and overall attachment quality were lower. For paternal attachment, avoidance of the fear-paired animal was associated with overall attachment quality and communication. Hierarchical analyses confirmed that maternal trust and paternal trust and communication moderated changes in avoidance from pre- to post-learning. Additionally, the touch box task showed that maternal attachment, particularly alienation, influenced approach behaviour toward the fear-paired animal, whereas paternal attachment did not. Children with stronger maternal attachment and better communication were slower to approach the fear-paired animal. These findings suggest that lower attachment quality is linked to greater avoidance of fear-related stimuli, highlighting the role of attachment in shaping behavioural, rather than cognitive, responses in vicarious fear learning. The results contribute to understanding the complex interplay between attachment and emotional learning, suggesting potential pathways for further research into specific attachment dimensions and other moderators of vicarious fear learning.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1495481
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1495481
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/sode.70040
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Fear
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Observation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attachment Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mothers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fathers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Animals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preadolescents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Visual Stimuli
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anxiety
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Trust (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (London)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Role of Caregiver Attachment in Vicarious Fear Learning in Children
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gemma Reynolds
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Andrea Oskis
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 02
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0961-205X
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1467-9507
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 35
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Social Development
              Type: main
ResultId 1