Part 2. Rational and Irrational Fears
a. Do you know anyone who has a fear of these things? Talk with a classmate and share stories.
| spiders | speaking to a large audience | heights |
| empty houses | the number 13 | a monster under the bed |
| crowds | dentists | clowns |
b. Talk with a partner or group.
- Which of the fears above do you think is the most rational?
- Would you class any of them as irrational?
- What makes the difference between a rational and irrational fear?
c. Phobias: Read the text and answer the questions in the last paragraph.
We often use the word phobia for an irrational or excessive fear of a specific object or situation. There are different names for particular phobias, usually derived from Greek words: for instance, arachnophobia is a fear of spiders, and coulrophobia is a fear of clowns.
Having a phobia can make everyday life more difficult. People living with extreme aviophobia, fear of flying, can miss out on holidays with friends and family. A city dweller who develops acrophobia, fear of heights, may feel the need to move home or change jobs to avoid spending time on the 15th floor of a high-rise building.
Note the verb in that last sentence, develop. Phobias change over time: they can get better or worse, and new phobias can appear at any stage of life. But how does a phobia typically start? And is there any way to ‘cure’ a condition like arachnophobia or coulrophobia?
d. Working together with classmates, try this quiz from Factmonster.
https://www.factmonster.com/take-quiz/phobias
e. Listen to the clip and answer the questions.
Dr Donna Berry, of Keele University, talks here about the causes and effects of fear.
- What is the physical effect of fear on the body?
- What are the two main categories of fear?
- What does Dr Berry say about clowns?
(Warning: video contains images of clowns.)
f. Do Worksheet 2.
This 2-page worksheet has further vocabulary, listening and speaking activities based on concepts and language from the video.
g. Think, then discuss.
- Can acquired fears be useful?
Further reading and listening:
An article on phobias: https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/phobia-a-to-z
An interesting list of named phobias: https://cdn1.byjus.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Important-Phobias-List-of-Phobias.pdf
‘Phobias Workshop’ – classic comedy from The Sketch Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koNwUeG-iKE
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