phobia characteristics

• Name three behavioural characteristics of phobias.

  Panic, avoidance, endurance
• What is panic?


  A strong reaction of fear and anxiety, often accompanied by crying, screaming, or running away.
• What is avoidance?


  The act of making efforts to stay away from the phobic stimulus.
• What is endurance?


  Continuing to face the phobic stimulus despite experiencing high levels of anxiety.
• Name two emotional characteristics of phobias.

  Anxiety, emotional response is unreasonable
• What is anxiety?


  An unpleasant state of high arousal, often experienced by individuals with phobias.
• What is meant by emotional responses being unreasonable?

  The emotional reaction to the phobic stimulus is disproportionate to the actual harm it can cause.
• Name three cognitive characteristics of phobias.

  Selective attention to the phobic stimulus, irrational beliefs, cognitive distortions
• What are cognitive distortions?

  Perceiving the phobic stimulus to be different from how it actually is.
• What is selective attention to the phobic stimulus?

  Difficulty in looking away from the phobic stimulus, even when it is irrational.
• What are irrational beliefs?

  Holding beliefs about the phobic stimulus that are not based on rational thinking.