Phobias- where do they come from/start?

Greystoner

Just something that I wonder about...

I know lots of people that have phobias, some seem logical, like spiders, flying, or deep water, but some seem irrational, like buttons. So just wondering if anyone knows where and when they start?

Is it because they get reinforcement for a reaction to something as a child?

Is it because they have a 'near miss' with something so now they are now phobic about it?

Interested to try to understand why. I don't have any phobias myself,(not keen on the deep water myself, but then I don't have to face that on a daily basis anyway!) Fascinated by the button phobias as know 2 people with this. Both seemed to develop it in childhood but they don't know why. A relative of mine has never been on an aeroplane in her whole life as so scared of flying too.

So any ideas people?...

dar100

I don't think that there is a clearcut answer, to the question you ponder. How we view phobias, will really depend on the theoritical orientation we choose to utilise to explain such constructs.

A behavioural approach may point to theories such as, Classical Condition, Operant Condition, and Social Cognitive Learning Theory.

APsychoanalytic approach, will view it in a different manner.

JuliusCaesar

Greystoner wrote: »

Is it because they get reinforcement for a reaction to something as a child?

Is it because they have a 'near miss' with something so now they are now phobic about it?

I suppose what you are asking about is fear acquisition.

Some fears are innate: fear of scuttling things (spiders, scorpions), fear of looming things (hawks, strangers), fear of heights.

Some fears are acquired. See Little Albert in which a fear was brought about by classical conditioning and then generalised. Fears can also be learned directly or indirectly. Some people know what triggered their fear, some don't.

From my own point of view, trying to figure out what caused a fear to develop is of less importance than overcoming it. Knowing that you have a fear of lifts because your mother got trapped in a lift for hours one time and then made you nervous of lifts, does not generally help people get over their fear.

Greystoner

Aw, poor little Albert!

Explains a bit to me anyway. I just think about 'stuff' alot! Always wondered why people get phobic about things. Was watching the OCD cleaners programme last night too which made me think about it again. So stressful for those people!