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Related Experiment Videos

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

Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|January 8, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Flight phobics show a covariation bias, overestimating the link between fear-relevant stimuli and negative outcomes. However, they can correct this bias with disconfirming evidence.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Anxiety Disorders

Background:

  • Illusory correlation is a cognitive bias where people perceive a relationship between variables even when none exists.
  • This bias may play a role in the development and maintenance of specific phobias, such as flight phobia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate covariation estimates (CEs) between fear-relevant (FR) and fear-irrelevant (FI) stimuli and an aversive outcome in flight phobics versus non-phobic individuals.
  • To examine if flight phobics exhibit a covariation bias in an illusory correlation experiment.

Main Methods:

  • An illusory correlation experiment was conducted with 15 flight phobics (high-fear) and 15 non-flight-phobic individuals (low-fear).
  • Participants estimated the covariation between different slide categories (FR: airplane crashes; FI: airplanes in flight, mushrooms) and an electrical shock outcome.

Main Results:

  • Flight phobics showed a significant covariation bias, reporting higher CEs for the contingency between FR slides and shocks compared to FI slides and shocks.
  • The CEs for FR slides and shocks were significantly higher in flight phobics than in non-phobic individuals.
  • High-fear individuals corrected their initial bias in subsequent blocks, suggesting cognitive flexibility.

Conclusions:

  • Flight phobics exhibit a covariation bias, potentially contributing to their fear responses.
  • This bias can be overcome with disconfirming information, indicating that cognitive interventions may be effective in treating flight phobia.

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