Judgmental Bias for Specific Phobia

There are two types of judgmental bias that probably play a role in the maintenance of specific phobia. The first type is the co-variation bias, which refers to the tendency to overestimate the association between phobic stimuli and aversive outcomes .

The experimental demonstration of co-variation bias in phobias is straightforward. Phobic and normal subjects are shown a series of slides consisting of fear-relevant pictures (e.g., spiders) and fear-irrelevant pictures (e.g., flowers). Slide offset is followed by one of three outcomes: an aversive shock, a tone or nothing. Fear-relevant and fear-irrelevant pictures are equally often followed by each of the outcomes. After the series of slides, subjects are asked to estimate the contingencies between slides and outcomes

Under these experimental conditions, phobic subjects systematically overestimate the contingency between phobic stimuli and aversive outcomes. Again, in successfully treated spider phobics, the co-variation bias disappears. Furthermore, De Jong et al. noted that there is a strong and positive correlation (r=0.61) between residual co-variation bias in treated spider phobics and relapse. That is, the stronger the (post-treatment) overestimation of the contingency between spider picture and aversive shock, the higher the spider fear at two-year follow up. In sum, then, phobics have a tendency to attribute aversive experiences to the phobic object and this, in turn, will sustain their fear.

A second judgmental bias that may occur in specific phobias is a style of reasoning known as ex consequentia inference. Like other people, phobics believe that dangerous situations elicit anxiety. However, unlike many non-phobic subjects, spider phobics seem to believe that anxiety symptoms imply the presence of danger. The ex consequentia inference probably serves to legitimate the phobic fear and, thus, may maintain the phobia. However, more studies are needed firmly to establish the role of this reasoning style in the maintenance of fear.

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