• Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation
• Exposure to the phobic stimulus almost always provokes an immediate fear or anxiety response
• The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the specific object or situation and to the sociocultural context. 
• The phobic situation(s) is avoided or else is endured with intense anxiety or distress.

Categories of specific phobias:

• Animal type – (e.g., fear of spiders, insects, dogs)
• Natural environment type – (e.g., fear of heights (acrophobia), storms, water)
• Situational type – (e.g., airplanes, elevators, enclosed places).
• Blood-injection-injury type – (e.g., needles, invasive medical procedures)
• Other – (e.g., situations that may lead to choking or vomiting; in children, e.g., loud sounds or costumed characters)