Characteristics of phobias

• Explain what is meant by a phobia

  • an anxiety disorder
  • When a person feels persistent, irrational fear towards on object/situation.
  • To reduce this feeling of fear they aviod their phobic stimulus/situation to the point it is considered maladaptive - disruptive to their everyday life
• Explain what is meant by behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of a disorder

  Behavioural = how a person with the disorder behaves.

  Emotional = how a person with the disorder feels.

  Cognitive = how a person with the disorder thinks.
• Outline the two behavioural characteristics of phobias

  Avoidance – the person will refuse to go near their phobic stimulus/situation. This is to the extent that it is maladaptive to their everyday life.

  • Panic – the person will show panic behaviours such as screaming, crying or fainting when in the presence of their phobic stimulus. This is considered an extreme/disproportionate reaction.
• Outline two emotional characteristics of phobias

  Fear – the person will feel a persistent feeling of fear when in the presence of their phobic stimulus. This fear is considered irrational.

  Anxiety – the person will worry when anticipating being in the presence of their phobic stimulus. This can be maladaptive in that it may cause

  difficulties sleeping.
• Outline two cognitive characteristics of phobias

  The person recognises that their phobia is excessive in that it is unlikely to cause them real harm. However, this fails to reduce their feelings of fear and anxiety.Thoughts that the phobic stimulus will cause them harm. This is considered irrational as the phobic stimulus/situation is typically not harmful.