This document contains revision notes for the topic of phobias for the psychopathology topic in paper 1 of psychology AQA A level. All content follows the AQA specification.
DSM-5 categories of phobia
Phobias are characterised by excessive fear, triggered by an object or situation. Fear
displayed is out of proportion to any real danger presented by the phobic stimulus.
1. Behavioural Characteristics of Phobias
● Panic: Crying, screaming, running away. Children react by freezing or clinging.
● Avoidance: Making effort to avoid confronting phobia, making it difficult to go about
daily life.
● Endurance: Sufferer is in the presence of a phobic stimulus but experiences anxiety.
2. Emotional Characteristics of Phobias
● Anxiety: State of high unpleasant arousal. Prevents sufferers relaxing, makes positive
emotions difficult.
● Fear: The immediate unpleasant response we experience when encountering or
thinking of our phobic stimulus.
3. Cognitive Characteristics of Phobias
Ways people process information about phobic stimuli differently from other objects.
● Selective Attention: Cannot stop looking at phobic stimuli.
● Irrational Beliefs: Irrational beliefs in relation to phobic stimuli.
● Cognitive Distortions: Perception of phobic stimulus may be distorted.
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