The etiology of childhood dog phobia

This study evaluated Rachmanʹs theory of fear acquisition in a sample of 30 children with dog phobia. The children were on the waiting list of a university-based clinic. Parents were asked to indicate the most influential factor in the onset of their childʹs dog phobia. Nearly all parents were able to attribute their childʹs phobia to one of the fear pathways: direct conditioning, modeling or transmission of information.