An experimental manipulation of responsibility in children : an investigation into the effects of inflated responsibility on reassurance seeking, checking behaviours and anxiety
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: ABSTRACT \nObjectives \nThere is an increasing amount of evidence which suggests that the cognitive models of \nobsessive-compulsive disorder can be applied to children. However, until now only two \nstudies have used an experimental design to investigate the causal links between \ncognitive processes and childhood OCD. Therefore, the initial aim of this study was to \ndevelop these studies in order to further investigate the inflated responsibility model of \nchildhood OCD. The secondary aim of this study is to investigate the effect of child’s \nreassurance seeking on mother’s reassurance giving behaviour. \nMethod \nThis study used an experimental between subjects design adapted from previous \nexperimental research with adults and children. 52 participants aged 9-11 were \nrandomly assigned to either a high responsibility group or a control group. Dependent \nvariables were perceived responsibility, anxiety, checking behaviours and reassurance \nseeking. \nResults \nAfter the manipulation, children in the high responsibility group reported higher \nperceived responsibility than those in the control group. There were no group \ndifferences in post-task anxiety, while controlling for baseline anxiety. Children in the \nhigh responsibility group took longer to complete the task and also checked, hesitated \nand sought more reassurance than those in the control group. Mothers with children in \nthe high responsibility group did not provide more reassurance than those with children \nin the control group. \n12 \nConclusions \nThe findings offer support for the link between inflated responsibility and childhood \nOCD by providing preliminary evidence for a causal link between inflated \nresponsibility, checking behaviours and reassurance seeking. The study did not find a \nlink between children’s reassurance seeking and mother’s reassurance giving \nbehaviours. There are a number of methodological limitations that need to be to be \nconsidered when interpreting the results. The findings are discussed in relation the \nimplications for the cognitive model of OCD, treatment for young people with OCD \nand directions for future research.
Author: Melissa De Wolff
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2085845086