Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding PediophobiaSymptomsDiagnosisCausesTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Understanding Pediophobia

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Causes

Treatment

Coping

Pediophobia, or the fear of dolls, is a type of specific phobia. It is believed to be a type ofautomatonophobia, or fear of humanoid figures.Some people fear all dolls and stuffed toys, while others fear only a specific type. Dolls that talk or move and old-fashioned porcelain dolls are especially common sources of this type of fear.

At a GlancePediophobia is a relatively common type of specific phobia that involves a fear of dolls or similar humanoid figures. Often linked to traumatic experiences in childhood, this fear can create considerable distress and cause people to avoid situations where they might encounter a doll. Fortunately, there are effective treatments that can help, including cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy.

At a Glance

Pediophobia is a relatively common type of specific phobia that involves a fear of dolls or similar humanoid figures. Often linked to traumatic experiences in childhood, this fear can create considerable distress and cause people to avoid situations where they might encounter a doll. Fortunately, there are effective treatments that can help, including cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy.

People who have pediophobia experience fear in response to dolls, humanlike objects, or humanoid inanimate objects. Seeing, being near, or even thinking about dolls can trigger feelings of extreme anxiety, panic, and avoidance.

Examples of objects that can trigger these feelings of fear include:

Specific phobias are relatively common, affecting 12.5% of adult in the U.S. at some point during their lives.

Symptoms of Pediophobia

Some of the key signs and symptoms of pediophobia include:

How Is Pediophobia Diagnosed?

Since pediophobia may be linked to a range of other fears, it is important that only a trained professional attempt to make a diagnosis. Your therapist will ask direct questions that are designed to help you clarify exactly what you fear.

Gathering as much information as you can ahead of your visit can assist your therapist in making an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnostic Criteria for Specific Phobias

It is important to note that pediophobia is not recognized as a distinct diagnosis in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5-TR). Instead, it is considered a type ofspecific phobia. To be diagnosed with a specific phobia, people must experience:

Pediophobia and Children

Many parents want their children to love dolls. They may become distressed if their child screams or cries when a doll is presented. It is important to keep in mind, though, that small children are just learning to separate fantasy from reality.

A doll, which appears to be human but is not, can be terrifying to a child who does not yet understand the concept.

Therefore, like most phobias, pediophobia is not diagnosed in children unless it has persisted for more than six months.Of course, if your child’s fear is severe or inconsolable, it is important to ask for the advice of the child’s doctor.

What Causes Pediophobia?

Like other specific phobias, pediophobia may have a number of causes:

Pediophobia and the Uncanny ValleyTheuncanny valleyis a phenomenon that may explain why some people experience a fear of dolls. When viewing humanoid objects, people sometimes experience sensations of eeriness, disgust, or revulsion. This effect is more pronounced the more lifelike the figures appear.

Pediophobia and the Uncanny Valley

Theuncanny valleyis a phenomenon that may explain why some people experience a fear of dolls. When viewing humanoid objects, people sometimes experience sensations of eeriness, disgust, or revulsion. This effect is more pronounced the more lifelike the figures appear.

The fear of dolls has been heavily exploited in pop culture settings, ranging from movies to Halloween events. In most of these occurrences, the premise is that a seemingly harmless doll has become a sentient being bent on destruction. Whether this happens through magical spells or random chance, the net result is the same: a child’s plaything has become deadly.

These films tap a primal fear that may be one of the roots of pediophobia; the fear of the silent killer.

In a world filled with threats, ranging from bioterrorism to tainted spinach, it is common to worry that something we cannot recognize as dangerous could lead to our destruction. This is one of the basic fears present indoomsday phobiasand exploited in Hollywood films, such asWithout Warning.

List of Phobias, From the Strange to the Common

Treatment for Pediophobia

Fortunately, there are effective treatments that can help people manage pediophobia. Depending on the exact nature of your fear, a range oftalk therapystyles may be appropriate.

Psychotherapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapyis the most common for those with aspecific phobia, as it is both time-limited and effective.This type of therapy involves changing the underlying thought patterns that contribute to fear and anxiety.

Medications

In some cases, medications such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and beta blockers may be prescribed to help people manage symptoms of anxiety.

These medications are most effective when combined with therapy.

How to Cope With Pediophobia

If you have a fear of dolls, there are things that you can do to help manage your condition. Limiting your exposure to triggers can help you avoid feelings of anxiety, but it is also important to remember that avoidance can also contribute to worse symptoms of anxiety over time.

Self-help techniques that may help you stay calm and feel less fearful include:

Takeaway

Pediophobia can create considerable distress and make it difficult to function normally in your daily life. Such fears may stem from traumatic events in your life, but other factors like genetics, upbringing, and cultural influences can also play a part.

If you have a fear of dolls, talk to a doctor or therapist about treatments that can help. CBT, exposure therapy, and medication are a few options that can help you recover and live your life free of fear.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Evans, J.How does the uncanny manifest itself in photography?Academia Letters. 2021. doi:10.20935/AL1954National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Cedars- Sinai.Phobias in children.Garcia R.Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias.Learn Mem. 2017;24(9):462-471. doi:10.1101/lm.044115.116Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Böhnlein J, Altegoer L, Muck NK, et al.Factors influencing the success of exposure therapy for specific phobia: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;108:796-820. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.009

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Evans, J.How does the uncanny manifest itself in photography?Academia Letters. 2021. doi:10.20935/AL1954National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Cedars- Sinai.Phobias in children.Garcia R.Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias.Learn Mem. 2017;24(9):462-471. doi:10.1101/lm.044115.116Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Böhnlein J, Altegoer L, Muck NK, et al.Factors influencing the success of exposure therapy for specific phobia: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;108:796-820. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.009

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Evans, J.How does the uncanny manifest itself in photography?Academia Letters. 2021. doi:10.20935/AL1954National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Cedars- Sinai.Phobias in children.Garcia R.Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias.Learn Mem. 2017;24(9):462-471. doi:10.1101/lm.044115.116Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Böhnlein J, Altegoer L, Muck NK, et al.Factors influencing the success of exposure therapy for specific phobia: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;108:796-820. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.009

Evans, J.How does the uncanny manifest itself in photography?Academia Letters. 2021. doi:10.20935/AL1954

National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

Cedars- Sinai.Phobias in children.

Garcia R.Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias.Learn Mem. 2017;24(9):462-471. doi:10.1101/lm.044115.116

Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1

Böhnlein J, Altegoer L, Muck NK, et al.Factors influencing the success of exposure therapy for specific phobia: A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020;108:796-820. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.009

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