Dishabituation processes in height fear and dental fear: an indirect test of the non-associative model of fear acquisition

The fear dishabituation hypothesis described in the non-associative model o f fear acquisition was tested in a longitudinal birth cohort study. Results were consistent with height fear and phobia dishabituation, That is, 're-e mergence' of a fear of heights occurred between age 11 and 18 years among i ndividuals who reported higher levels of non-specific stress at age 15. Int erestingly, there was no evidence for dental fear dishabituation - a findin g consistent with the non-associative model of fear acquisition, Strengths and weaknesses of the study were considered and the results discussed in re lation to laboratory-based findings on (dis)habituation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.