Does anxiety affect children's reports of memory for a stressful event?

Abstract

Abstract The study was conducted to explore the effects of anxiety on children's memory for a naturalistic, potentially stressful event. Eighty children of two age groups, 4‐5 and 7‐8 years, visited the dentist for either a teeth‐cleaning check‐up or an operative procedure. Anxiety was assessed by a behavioural rating scale, as well as through Likert‐scale ratings by the hygienist, parent, and child. Memory for the event was elicited through free recall and specific central and peripheral questions. High anxiety had a debilitative effect on the reports of the older children, but not on young children's reports. However, experience with the dental event mediated the influence of age and anxiety on memory. Although all measures of anxiety were significantly associated with each other, only the behavioural rating scale yielded statistically reliable effects of anxiety on memory. The anxiety‐memory relationship is believed to be more complex than previous research with children suggests.