How to Develop a Phobia

Ever wonder how you developed a particular phobia? Well, it's because you learned it. Whether we're consciously doing it or not, learning is something we do on a regular basis. Majority of the time, we think of learning within the context of the classroom, but obviously learning takes many other forms than a teacher at the blackboard and a textbook on your desk. We may come to learn that the appearance of the babysitter means our parents are heading out, that the sound of a bell signifies the end of a class period, or in the case of Pavlov's dogs, a ringing bell means the arrival of food. These are all examples of classical conditioning, a psychological concept where a passive process conditions mostly involuntary behaviour (as defined by my psych professor). One interesting example of classical conditioning would be "phobias" - reactions of fear or anxiety to specific objects or situations. (Hover over the bold text for definitions!)
 Phobias begin their life as a neutral stimulus. For example, a young child who has never learned the deathly capability of snakes may see one and react with only mild interest at it. However, when an unconditioned stimulus is introduced and an unconditioned response triggered, the neutral stimulus may take on the unconditioned response. In the situation with the child and the snake, if an adult were to freak out around the snake, the child would naturally be frightened because of that, and snakes, now being associated with intense fear, could develop into a full-blown phobia for the child.

Because of the fear and anxiety created in these types of situations, people can even develop phobias that seem completely irrational, such as the fear of the number 7 (triskaidekaphobia). Phobias can be "un-learned" in a way similar to how they're learned. By countering a learned response of conditioned stimulus with a different feeling, such as the calm that comes with deep-breathing exercises, phobias can be conquered!