Social cognition and developmental perspectives on understanding and strategies for overcoming phobias

Previous research on emotion causation has primarily focused on physical stimuli, while neglecting emotions triggered by symbolic elicitors. This study examined how respondents of different ages understand phobias, including their causes and ways to overcome them. The sample comprised 140 participants (10 females per group) from Belgrade, Serbia, aged 5, 7, 9, 12?13, 16?17, as well as psychology and non-psychology students. Participants listened to short stories about individuals encountering objects of their phobia (elevator, high place, crowded square) and answered questions. Responses were categorized by their similarity to psychological theories. Across almost all age groups, phobias were predominantly explained in `behavioristic` terms?attributed to prior negative experiences, with re-exposure suggested as a way to alleviate fear. Contrary to expectations, explanations did not shift from situational to mentalistic with age, indicating that this transition may not be universal across emotions and may follow different patterns for more complex phenomena.