Scary Snakes and Cuddly Frogs: Exploring the Role of Storybooks in Children's Fear and Behavioral Avoidance of Animals

IF 1.2 4区 心理学 Q4 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL
Megan Conrad, Raghad Hassabelnaby, Stuart Marcovitch, Janet Boseovski
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Abstract

Abstract: Animal fears are common, emerging in early childhood and often continuing into adulthood. This study explores the outcomes of positive and negative storybooks about animals on children's attitudes and behaviors. Ninety-six children (ages 4–8 years) were exposed to either negative or positive information about two animals (snakes and frogs) via age-appropriate storybooks, and fear beliefs and avoidance behaviors were then measured. Our results suggest that prior knowledge influences learning and behavior, with children exhibiting more fear towards snakes than frogs, regardless of condition. Accordingly, children who showed fewer fear beliefs were more likely to reach for the animals. In addition, storybook information impacts learning and fear, with children exhibiting more fear in the negative storybook conditions than positive storybook conditions. Storybook information also influenced behavioral avoidance, especially for snakes, with more children reaching for the snake when they received positive information rather than negative information. Additionally, across negative conditions, more children reached for the frog compared to the snake. Finally, parental and child characteristics were associated with more both self-reported fear and observed fear. Implications for parents and educators are discussed.
可怕的蛇和可爱的青蛙:探索故事书在儿童对动物的恐惧和行为回避中的作用
摘要:动物恐惧是很常见的,出现在儿童早期,并经常持续到成年。本研究探讨正面和负面动物故事书对儿童态度和行为的影响。96名儿童(4-8岁)通过与年龄相适应的故事书接触两种动物(蛇和青蛙)的负面或正面信息,然后测量恐惧信念和回避行为。我们的研究结果表明,先验知识会影响学习和行为,无论在什么条件下,儿童对蛇比青蛙表现出更多的恐惧。因此,表现出较少恐惧信念的孩子更有可能去拿动物。此外,故事书信息影响学习和恐惧,儿童在消极故事书条件下比在积极故事书条件下表现出更多的恐惧。故事书的信息也影响了行为回避,尤其是对蛇的回避,当孩子们收到积极信息时,他们会去碰蛇,而不是消极信息。此外,在消极条件下,与蛇相比,更多的孩子会去抓青蛙。最后,父母和孩子的特征与自我报告的恐惧和观察到的恐惧都有更多的联系。本文还讨论了对家长和教育者的启示。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
1.40
自引率
0.00%
发文量
6
期刊介绍: This internationally acclaimed periodical features empirical and theoretical papers on child development and family-child relationships. A high-quality resource for researchers, writers, teachers, and practitioners, the journal contains up-to-date information on advances in developmental research on infants, children, adolescents, and families; summaries and integrations of research; commentaries by experts; and reviews of important new books in development.
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