Implicit Anxiety: No Evidence for a Relation with Childhood Fears and Parental Rearing Behaviour

Stefan Stieger

doi:10.5334/pb-53-1-75

Abstract

Psychologica Belgica is the official journal of the Belgian Association for Psychological Sciences (BAPS). BAPS promotes the development of psychological sciences in Belgium, at both fundamental and applied research levels. The journal ensures rigorous peer-review to maintain research integrity.Psychological Belgica makes publications available online as soon as they are finalised. All publications are open access, making research available free of charge and without delay.The journal has a 2021 Impact Factor of 1.717 and a 5 year impact factor of 2.352.Subscribe to content alerts and other journal news here. You can also follow the journal on ResearchGate.

Highlights

The measurement of implicit evaluations is widespread, little is known about their origins
A recent meta-analysis found that implicit evaluations show incremental predictive validity over and above explicit evaluations (Greenwald, Poehlman, Uhlmann, & Banaji, 2009), supporting the assumption of dual processes
More recent research suggests that the present may weigh more than the past when it comes to implicit evaluations (e.g., Castelli, Carraro, Gawronski, & Gava, 2010) and implicit evaluations might even be easier to change than explicit evaluations (e.g., Gawronski & LeBel, 2008; for a review see Gawronski & Bodenhausen, 2006)

Summary

Introduction

The measurement of implicit (i.e., automatic) evaluations is widespread, little is known about their origins. Some researchers have argued that implicit evaluations develop early in life through socialisation processes and are stable over time. In two studies this assumption was questioned for implicit anxiety by asking participants about their childhood fears and participants’ mothers about their children’s childhood fears (Study 1: N = 230). Other researchers argued that implicit evaluations develop early in life (maybe even in childhood) through socialisation processes (e.g., family), are stable over time (e.g., Gregg, Seibt, & Banaji, 2006; Koole, Dijksterhuis, & van Knippenberg, 2001; Rudman, 2004; Rudman, Phelan, & Heppen, 2007), and even have genetic grounds (Osinsky, Alexander, Schmitz, Kuepper, Müller, Beer et al, 2010). The anxiety IAT proved to be a reliable and valid measure of implicit anxiety (Egloff & Schmukle, 2002; Egloff, Schwerdtfeger, & Schmukle, 2005; Egloff, Weck, & Schmukle, 2008; Schmukle & Egloff, 2004; Stieger, Göritz, & Burger, 2010)

Methods

Results

Conclusion