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Attentional-bias to sleep-related stimuli in children with sleep-problems: an investigation using an induced-change-blindness paradigm

Abstract

Introduction. High prevalence-rates of childhood sleep-problems have highlighted the importance to understand what causes/maintains them. Attentional-bias (AB), a phenomenon involved in psychological problem-maintenance, involves attention becoming skewed towards problem-specific stimuli. Research into AB in childhood psychological-problems is now growing. Other research shows parental health-beliefs to be influential on their children's health. Method. Using an induced-change-blindness flicker paradigm, the current study investigates AB to sleep-related stimuli in children with sleep-problems aged 6-11, while correlational-analysis examines the relationship between parental health-beliefs and effort made to address children's sleep-problems. Results. All children detected sleep-related changes quicker than neutral changes. Of those completing the sleep-related task, good sleepers were quicker, while of those completing the neutral task, poor sleepers were quicker. The more parents believed they could influence their own health-status, the more effort they made to address their child's health-problem. Discussion. Potential theories for the results are presented in addition to methodological flaws, limitations and general conclusions

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