General

• What is the definition of a phobia?

  It's an important fearful anxiety response to a specific object or situation.
• What are phobias classified within?

  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (The DSM)
• What are the three types of phobia disorders?

  1. Specific phobia
  2. Social phobia
  3. Agoraphobia
• Where is the DSM usually used?

  The US.
• What does the DSM measure?

  The extent of the fear being out of proportion to any real danger that is presented by the phobic stimulus.
• What is a specific phobia?

  A phobia in an object, animal, body part or situation.
• What is social phobia?

  A phobia of social situations. (Social anxiety)
• What is agoraphobia?

  A fear of being outside or in a public place. Its the fear of not being somewhere safe.
• What are some behavioural characteristics of phobias?

  -Panic: crying, screaming and running away.

  -->Children may react differently by freezing, clinging or throwing a tantrum.

  -Avoidance: not facing the phobic stimulus.

  -->Can interfere with daily life.

  -Endurance: Opposite of avoidance, where the person faces the phobic stimulus.

  -->Still have high levels of anxiety.
• What are some emotional characteristics of phobias?

  -Anxiety: phobias are classed as anxiety disorders.

  -->The fear is an immediate response, but the anxiety can be long term.

  ---->The response can be seen as unreasonable.
• What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

  -Selective attention: can't stop looking away from the phobic stimulus.

  -Irrational beliefs: For example social phobias can increase the pressure to perform well in social situations at times.

  -Cognitive distortions: Perception to the phobic stimulus is distorted.

  --->Like, association with the number 13 with bad luck.