The Infant as an Onlooker

Paper Summary:

The paper predicts that negative emotional modeling will influence infants' behavior, causing them to become more afraid of specific events or situations. The paper then focuses on two studies that demonstrate how parental modeling is a decisive factor in the development of fear and anxiety in children. The paper uses this evidence to support the prediction that fear and anxious behaviors can be acquired passively through observation.

Outline:
Mother Knows Best: Effects of Maternal Modeling on the Acquisition
Transmission of Social Anxiety from Mother to Infant
Discussion

From the Paper:

"Fear and anxiety are a natural phenomenon in most people's lives. When these fears and anxieties become overwhelming to an individuals daily activities the individual may be suffering from one or more anxiety disorders. Phobias are one of the many anxiety disorders that can affect the lives of individuals. The DSM-IV-TR defines a phobia as a disruptive fear of a particular object or situation that is out of proportion to any danger posed. The person recognizes that the fear is excessive but still goes to great lengths to avoid the feared object or situation. The symptoms are so intense that they cause distress or interfere with the persons' social or occupational activities (Kring, Davison, Neale, and Johnson 2006). Phobias are one of the most abundant psychological disorders diagnosed by psychiatrists. Many people seek professional help for these types of anxieties disorders. Fortunately most phobias can be treated and eventually cured with the appropriate psychological treatments. Research has established that the onset of many phobias occurs early in an individuals' childhood or adolescence years."

Sample of Sources Used:

• De Rosnay, M., Cooper, P. J., Tsigaras, N., & Murray, L. (2006). Transmission of social anxiety from mother to infant: An experimental study using a social referencing paradigm. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 1165-1175.
• Gerull F. C., & Rapee R. M. (2002). Mother knows best: Effects of maternal modelling on the acquisition of fear and avoidance behaviour in toddlers, Behaviour Research and therapy, 40, 279-287.
• Kring, A. M., Davison, G. C., Neale, J. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2006). Abnormal psychology (10th ed.). Toronto, ON: Wiley.
• Rothbart, M. K. (1978). Infant Behavior Questionnaire, 1978 version. University of Oregon.
• Mumme D. L., Fernald A. (2003). The Infant as Onlooker: Learning From Emotional reactions Observed in a television Scenario. Child Development, 47, 221-237.

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