Fear and phobias are a very important topic within psychopathology because of the prevalence of these issues, the lack of a clear understanding of their origins, and lack of consensus regarding their most appropriate form of treatment. One of the most debated topics relates to the causes of fears and phobias, and the dominant etiological theories suggest that these things are learnt, from early frightening childhood experiences. However, these ideas have begun to be questioned, and now there are multiple behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and experiential theories on the origins of fears and phobias. Other important topics relate to treatments, for example, with the advancement of Virtual Reality (VR), there is a huge potential for clients with fears and phobias to be treated without the need for real exposure to the triggering object / situation. Yet, few studies have compared the treatment efficacy of VR with real-life exposure for a number of specific fears and phobias.
The proposed special edition will highlight some of the above debates, present new research findings, and potentially help resolve some of the outstanding issues so that we have a better understanding of this topic.
The goal of this special edition is to provide a single place for current theory and research relating to fears and phobias which will be of use to academics, clinicians and researchers alike.
We would be interested in topics covering:
The prevalence of different types of fears and phobias, particularly in international samples.
The distinction between fears and phobias on a conceptual, psychological and physiological level.
Demographic factors associated with fears and phobias, e.g., which populations have the most, and least prevalence.
Neurophysiological indicators of fears and phobias, e.g., EEG, ERP, eye-tracking, neuroimaging.
Therapeutic approaches to fears and phobias, e.g., efficacy studies involving psychotherapy, medication, exposure therapy (particularly VR), TMS.
Future developments in research in fear and phobias.
Keywords:
Fears, Phobias, Anxiety disorders, Psychopathology, Mental Health
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Fear and phobias are a very important topic within psychopathology because of the prevalence of these issues, the lack of a clear understanding of their origins, and lack of consensus regarding their most appropriate form of treatment. One of the most debated topics relates to the causes of fears and phobias, and the dominant etiological theories suggest that these things are learnt, from early frightening childhood experiences. However, these ideas have begun to be questioned, and now there are multiple behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and experiential theories on the origins of fears and phobias. Other important topics relate to treatments, for example, with the advancement of Virtual Reality (VR), there is a huge potential for clients with fears and phobias to be treated without the need for real exposure to the triggering object / situation. Yet, few studies have compared the treatment efficacy of VR with real-life exposure for a number of specific fears and phobias.
The proposed special edition will highlight some of the above debates, present new research findings, and potentially help resolve some of the outstanding issues so that we have a better understanding of this topic.
The goal of this special edition is to provide a single place for current theory and research relating to fears and phobias which will be of use to academics, clinicians and researchers alike.
We would be interested in topics covering:
The prevalence of different types of fears and phobias, particularly in international samples.
The distinction between fears and phobias on a conceptual, psychological and physiological level.
Demographic factors associated with fears and phobias, e.g., which populations have the most, and least prevalence.
Neurophysiological indicators of fears and phobias, e.g., EEG, ERP, eye-tracking, neuroimaging.
Therapeutic approaches to fears and phobias, e.g., efficacy studies involving psychotherapy, medication, exposure therapy (particularly VR), TMS.
Future developments in research in fear and phobias.
Keywords:
Fears, Phobias, Anxiety disorders, Psychopathology, Mental Health
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.