Why Avoiding Fear Can Make Fear Stronger

Including myself, when people are afraid of something, their first instinct is to avoid it. Someone afraid of public speaking may avoid giving presentations, while someone afraid of dogs may avoid crossing the street to stay away from one. In the moment, avoiding these situations provides immediate relief, but through learning theory, we see that, over time, it may actually make those fears even stronger. Instead of giving people the opportunity to learn that a new or intimidating situation is not as dangerous as they perceive it to be, avoidance allows those feelings to continue without ever being confronted.

One explanation for this continued behavior is negative reinforcement. Through learning theory, we see that a behavior can be encouraged if it allows a person to escape or avoid an unpleasant experience or feeling. In Introduction to Learning and Behavior, it is explained that avoidance behaviors can become persistent because individuals rarely have the chance to discover that the feared situation is less threatening than they originally believed (Powell et al., 2017). A situation many people can relate to is being required to participate in public speaking, as mentioned before. If someone avoids every opportunity to do so, they never gain the experience needed to build confidence or confront that fear. As a result, the anxiety remains, and the avoidance behavior continues. This is one reason why public speaking courses in college can be incredibly beneficial. Research by Knowles and Olatunji (2019) also supports this idea by explaining that exposure allows individuals to learn that the negative outcomes they expect frequently do not occur. Instead of immediately removing fear, repeated exposure helps people develop new learning that reshapes their fear responses and the expectations they originally had.

What I find most interesting about this concept is that it completely challenges the way many people think about fear. Although avoidance may feel like the safest solution at first, it can also prevent people from gaining the experiences needed to build confidence and respond differently in similar situations. This helps us understand why exposure-based treatments are often so effective. These treatments gradually help individuals face what makes them anxious in a safe and controlled environment instead of encouraging them to avoid it. Learning theory shows that reducing fear is often less about eliminating anxiety altogether and more about changing the behaviors that allow fear to persist and interfere with everyday life. So the next time you find yourself trying to avoid an unwanted situation out of fear, put your best foot forward and remember that growth often begins where avoidance ends.

References

Knowles, K. A., & Olatunji, B. O. (2019). Enhancing inhibitory learning: The utility of variability in exposure. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 26(1), 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2017.12.001 

Powell, R. A., Honey, P. L., & Symbaluk, D. G. (2017). Introduction to learning and behavior. Cengage Learning.