Phobias

• What are the 3 behavioural characteristics of phobias?

  Panic- responding to the phobic stimulus, e.g. crying, running away, screaming

  Avoidance- avoiding the phobic stimulus

  Endurance- high levels of anxiety in the presence of phobic stimulus
• What is the emotional characteristic for phobias?

  Anxiety- high response of arousal and fear, prevents relaxation

  Emotional responses tend to be unreasonable and overreactive to the presence of a phobic stimulus
• What are the 3 cognitive characteristics of phobias?

  Selective attention- focusing on the stimulus and stimulus only, difficult to divert attention

  Irrational beliefs- beliefs that do not reflect reality and increase pressure on the sufferer to perform well in situations

  Cognitive distortions-perceptions of the stimulus may be distorted in an ugly or aggressive way