behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias

define phobia

an irrational fear of an object or situation

define specific phobia

phobia of an object

define agoraphobia

phobia of being in situations where escape is difficult - open spaces - can lead to the person being unable to leave their home

what are the three behavioural characteristics of responding to phobias?

• panic

• avoidance

• endurance

Behavioural characteristics - phobias

panic

could be a response to the presence of the phobic stimulus e.g. crying ,running away, screaming

Behavioural characteristics - phobias

avoidance

makes it hard to go about daily life. prevent themselves coming to contact with the phobic stimulus

Behavioural characteristics - phobias

endurance

they chose to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus. alternative response for avoidance

what are the three emotional characteristics of responding to phobias?

• anxiety

• fear

• emotional response is unreasonable

emotional characteristics - phobias

anxiety

phobias are classed as anxiety disorders - they can not relax as they are in a constant state of unpleasant arousal. this could be long-term

emotional characteristics - phobias

fear

immediate + extremely unpleasant response when they encounter/think about a phobic stimulus. More intense than anxiety, but short-term

emotional characteristics - phobias

emotional response is unreasonable

anxiety + fear is greater than what most people experience and its disproportionate to any threat posed

what are the three cognitive characteristics of responding to phobias?

• selective attention

• irrational belief

• cognitive distortions

cognitive characteristics - phobias

selective attention

someone with a phobia finds it hard to look away from the phobic stimulus, this makes it difficult to focus on anything else especially of the fear is irrational

cognitive characteristics - phobias

irrational belief

a phobic may have irrational beliefs about a phobic stimuli that it will hurt them

cognitive characteristics - phobias

cognitive distortions

perceptions of the phobic stimulus may be distorted - this means they may appear worse than they are in reality