Origins and development of human fear reactions

Abstract

Factors leading to the development and maintenance of human fear reactions were investigated in 56 animal phobics and 18 individuals without phobias who served as a reference control. Subjects completed questionnaires assessing the etiology of human fear and personality styles in reacting to stressors. Results supported Rachman's theory of fear acquisition. There was evidence for fear acquisition through conditioning, vicarious processes, and information/ instructions pathways. The conditioning pathway not only included simple first-order classical conditioning, but also involved a higher-order semantic conditioning process. Animal phobics displayed significant negative evaluative reactions in their semantic differential ratings of phobic verbal stimuli. Fear relevant self-instructions of the phobic clients were also significantly polarized and negative. The animal phobic subjects displayed significant difficulties in turning off the image of their fear objects. As compared to the non-phobic control, the phobic image of the fear animal was significantly higher in clarity and movement, but not in chromatic characteristics. Imagery and self-instructions interacted with the client's personality style. Adverse events associated with the loss of reinforcing events and reinforcing resources (i.e., separation, loss, failure) were significantly related to reports of fear increment. Results are interpreted to support paradigmatic behaviorism conceptualization of human anxiety reactions.