Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 26, 2026

Modified Fear Conditioning for Inducing Flight Behaviors in Mice
Published on: December 15, 2023
Covariation bias in flight phobics
P Pauli1, G Wiedemann, P Montoya
1Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany. Paul.Pauli@uni-tuebingen.de
Abstract:
Covariation estimates (CEs) between fear-relevant (FR) stimuli (slides of airplane crash sites) or fear-irrelevant (FI) stimuli (slides of airplanes in flight or mushrooms) and an aversive outcome (electrical shock) were examined in 15 flight phobics (high-fear participants) and 15 non-flight-phobic individuals (low-fear participants) by means of an illusory correlation experiment. In spite of a random relationship between all slide categories and outcome (illusory correlation), flight phobics exhibited a covariation bias and showed higher CEs for the contingency between FR slides and shocks than for the contingency between FI slides and shocks in a first experimental block. The CEs of flight phobics for FR slides and shocks was significantly higher than that of non-flight-phobic individuals, while high- and low-fear participants did not differ in their CEs for the other slide-shock combinations. However, even high-fear individuals were able to correct their initial covariation bias in subsequent illusory correlation blocks, presumably based on disconfirming situational information.
Related Concept Videos
Preparedness and Phobias
Social Anxiety Disorder
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Motivational Bias
Confirmation Biases
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.

