The etiology of phobias: a nonassociative account

Theories of the origin and maintenance of fears and phobias have had a profound influence on the kinds of treatments employed in the phobic disorders. In view of this influence, the present review considers the considerable controversy surrounding the major etiological models. First, the various forms of the associative learning account are examined. It is argued that each of these approaches has failed to provide a comprehensive account of the onset of the phobic disorders. Second, evidence for a nonassociative account is considered. It is argued that this latter model can more adequately account for the majority of experimental and clinical findings in most phobic conditions. Future directions for research on the etiology of phobias are discussed.