phobia theory

what is a phobia?

an excessive/irrational fear/anxiety of an object/place/situation

what is a behavioural feature of a phobia?

how people react in response to a phobic stimulus

what is an emotional feature of a phobia?

a person’s feelings/mood in response to a phobic stimulus

what is a cognitive feature of a phobia?

a person’s process of ‘knowing’ in response to a phobic stimulus

what are the DSM-5 categories of phobias?

• specific/simple phobias

• social phobias

• agoraphobia

what is a specific phobia?

• fear of a specific object in the environment (e.g. arachnophobia)

• can be /ed into animal, injury, situational and natural phobias

what is a social phobia?

• feeling anxious in social situations

• /ed into performance, interaction and generalised phobias

what is a social performance phobia?

performing in public (e.g. eating out w/ friends)

what is a social interaction phobia?

mixing w/ others (e.g. in an interview)

what is a generalised social phobia?

a phobia of other people being present (e.g. at a concert)

what is agoraphobia?

• fear of being in open/public spaces (e.g. using public transport) or just not being at home

• can be caused by simple/social phobias for fear of coming across the phobia while out

name and explain the behavioural characteristics of phobias:

• panic e.g. crying, screaming, fight/flight/freeze

• avoidance

• endurance - remaining in the presence of the phobic stimulus, to ensure it stays in place (“keeping an eye on it”

name and explain the emotional characteristics of phobias:

• fear - experienced when phobic stimulus is encountered/thought about

• anxiety - phobias are classed as an anxiety disorder

• emotional characteristics greater than normal and disproportionate

what are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

• selective attention to phobic stimulus - becoming fixated on the phobic stimulus

• irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus e.g. believing you are in danger

• cognitive distortions - inaccurate perceptions of the phobic stimulu