Characteristics of phobias

Question 1

behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 1

• avoidance
• endurance (freeze/ faint)
• panic
• disruption to functioning

Question 2

emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 2

• fear
• panic + anxiety
• general emotions

Question 3

cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 3

• irrational
• cognitive distortion
• irrational
• selective attention

Question 4

avoidance - behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 4

When faced with the object or situation that creates fear, the response is to avoid the object or situation.
This can interfere with the person’s normal daily life such as their social or occupational activities and can
cause distress. People might avoid places where they might see their phobic object.

Question 5

endurance (freeze/faint) - behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 5

When a person is stressed their bodily response is usually fight/flight. However, when faced with the object
or situation that is feared a person might freeze of faint instead. Freezing is so the predator (e.g. snake)
might think that the person is “dead” so leave them alone. The person might endure the phobic object but
“freeze” still.

Question 6

panic - behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 6

Anxiety and avoidance created by the phobia might be so extreme, that this could interfere with the
person’s ability to function socially or at work.

Question 7

disruption to functioning - behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 7

The person with the phobia might panic in the presence of the stimulus. They might show behavioural
characteristics of crying, screaming, vomiting, running away or freezing.

Question 8

fear - emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 8

Persistent, excessive and unreasonable fear might be felt in the presence of the stimulus, and this can be
long lasting. The fear response might be immediate. They might have feelings of terror and worry about
death if they come into contact with their phobic object.

Question 9

panic + anxiety - emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 9

The person will feel highly anxious and experience unpleasant negative feelings when faced with the
phobic situation. They might worry a great deal

Question 10

general emotions - emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 10

Strong emotions are cued by the presence or anticipation of the phobic object/situation, and these are out
of proportion to the actual danger that is posed. For example screaming uncontrollably when a person sees
a small spider 20 metres away.

Question 11

irrational - cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 11

The person will think in an irrational manner about their phobia, and they will resist rational arguments that
counter it. For example someone who is scared of flying will not listen to the fact that, “Flying is the safest
form of transport.”

Question 12

cognitive distortion - cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 12

The person will have a distorted perception of the stimulus for instance they might view snakes as alien
and aggressive (see them in a negative way).

Question 13

insight - cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 13

The person will know that their fear is excessive or unreasonable, but they still find it difficult not to fear
the object, e.g. “I know it is silly to fear balloons, but I cannot help it.”

Question 14

selective attention - cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 14

When the person encounters the phobic stimulus, they cannot look away and they focus all of their
attention on it. They will ignore everything else around them and just focus on the phobic situation.