Which term refers to irrational fears with avoidance behavior?

• A. Compulsions
• B. Phobias
• C. Illusions
• D. Insight

Answer: (B)

Fears that are clearly irrational and lead to avoidance are a hallmark of phobias. In a phobia, a person experiences intense, disproportionate fear when faced with a specific object or situation—like spiders, heights, or flying—and goes to great lengths to avoid it. This avoidance is central to the condition and often causes significant disruption in daily life. Compulsions, by contrast, are repetitive actions done to reduce anxiety (think OCD rituals), not avoidance of the trigger. Illusions are misperceptions of real external stimuli, and insight is about awareness of one’s mental state, not the defining feature of a fear accompanied by avoidance. Thus, the term that best fits irrational fears with avoidance behavior is phobias.