Psychopathology- Phobias

Question 1

Phobia -

Answer 1

An irrational fear of an object or situation.

Question 2

Behavioural -

Answer 2

Ways in which people act.

Question 3

Emotional -

Answer 3

Ways in which people feel.

Question 4

Cognitive -

Answer 4

Refers to the process of thinking - knowing, perceiving, believing.

Question 5

What are the three categories of phobia recognized in DSM-5?

Answer 5

1. Specific phobia (e.g., fear of animals, injections)
2. Social anxiety/social phobia (e.g., fear of public speaking)
3. Agoraphobia (fear of being outside/in public places)

Question 6

What characterizes all phobias?

Answer 6

Excessive fear and anxiety triggered by an object/place/situation, where the fear is out of proportion to the actual danger.

Question 7

What are the three behavioral responses in phobias?

Answer 7

1. Panic (crying, screaming, running away; children may freeze/cling)
2. Avoidance (going out of way to evade phobic stimulus)
3. Endurance (staying in situation but with high anxiety)

Question 8

How can avoidance affect daily life?

Answer 8

It can interfere with work, education and social life (e.g., limiting time outside due to fear of public toilets).

Question 9

What two emotional responses define phobias?

Answer 9

1. Anxiety (unpleasant high arousal)
2. Fear (immediate intense response to stimulus)

Question 10

Why are these responses unreasonable?

Answer 10

They’re disproportionate to actual danger (e.g., extreme fear of tiny harmless spider).

Example (Arachnophobia):
- Anxiety increases in spider-associated places
- Fear occurs when directly seeing spider

Question 11

What are the three cognitive aspects?

Answer 11

1. Selective attention (hard to look away from stimulus)
2. Irrational beliefs (e.g., “If I blush people will think I’m weak”)
3. Cognitive distortions (e.g., seeing snakes as aggressive)

Question 12

List 13 specific phobias:

Answer 12

1. Arachnophobia - Spiders
2. Ophidiophobia - Snakes
3. Zemmiphobia - Giant mole rats
4. Coulrophobia - Clowns
5. Kinemortaphobia - Zombies
6. Lutraphobia - Otters
7. Mycophobia - Mushrooms
8. Omphalophobia - Belly buttons
9. Rectaphobia - Bottoms
10. Xanthophobia - Yellow
11. Nomophobia - No phone signal
12. Pogonophobia - Beards
13. Alphabutyrophobia - Peanut butter
14. Triskaidekaphobia - Number 13