Phobia Characteristics

Question 1

Behavioural

Answer 1

Panic, Avoidance, and Endurance

Question 2

Panic

Answer 2

Panic in response to phobic stimuli which may involve crying, screaming, or running. Children may act differently by freezing or having a tantrum.

Question 3

Avoidance

Answer 3

Tend to go to great lengths to prevent encountering the phobic stimuli. This can make daily life hard e.g. afraid of using public toilets may limit time spent from home effecting their work, education, and social life.

Question 4

Endurance

Answer 4

Person chooses to remain in presence of the stimuli.

Question 5

Emotional

Answer 5

Anxiety, Fear, and Unreasonable emotional response

Question 6

Anxiety

Answer 6

Phobias are classed as an anxiety disorder. They may involve an emotional experience of anxiety which is an unpleasant state of arousal. Prevents person from relaxing and experiencing positive emotions which can be long term.

Question 7

Fear

Answer 7

The immediate, unpleasant response felt when they encounter or think of stimulus. More intense but usually short term.

Question 8

Unreasonable emotional response

Answer 8

Anxiety or fear is much greater than normal and disproportionate to the threat it poses.

Question 9

Cognitive

Answer 9

Selective attention to phobic stimulus, Irrational beliefs, Cognitive distortions

Question 10

Selective attention to phobic stimulus

Answer 10

Keep full attention on it which is not useful when the fear is irrational and so distracts concentration.

Question 11

Irrational beliefs

Answer 11

They may hold unfounded thoughts in relation to the stimulus.

Question 12

Cognitive distortions

Answer 12

The perceptions of a person with a phobia may be inaccurate and unrealistic.