▁ph ob ic ▁el ders , ▁negative ▁con not ations ▁advert ised ▁by ▁media ▁( e . g . ▁television , ▁mov ies ), ▁and ▁friends ▁with ▁personal ▁negative ▁experiences . ▁ ▁Vic ari ous ▁ ▁The ▁vic ari ous ▁path way ▁suggests ▁that ▁fear ▁is ▁acquired ▁through ▁imagination ▁of ▁the ▁feelings , ▁experience ▁or ▁actions ▁of ▁another ▁person . ▁ ▁Whether ▁this ▁path way ▁occurs ▁on ▁its ▁own ▁or ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁others ▁is ▁still ▁unknown . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁dent al ▁fear ▁in ▁the ▁very ▁young ▁is ▁passed ▁through ▁this ▁path way ▁through ▁observation ▁of ▁ ▁expressions ▁of ▁fear ▁by ▁el ders / par ents ▁at ▁the ▁dent ist . ▁ ▁Ver bal ▁threat ▁ ▁This ▁path way ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁inform ative ▁path way , ▁however ▁it ▁is ▁more ▁reli ant ▁on ▁the ▁em otion ▁of ▁fear ▁el ic ited ▁by ▁" word ▁of ▁mouth " ▁and ▁is ▁heavily ▁mod ulated ▁by ▁the ▁mess enger . ▁In ▁ess ence ▁the ▁ver bal ▁threat ▁path way ▁is ▁ ▁the ▁fear ▁induced ▁when ▁an ▁authority ▁figure ▁threat ens ▁an ▁individual ▁with ▁a ▁pain ful ▁experience . ▁In ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁dent al ▁fear , ▁the ▁pain ful ▁and / or ▁negative ▁experiences ▁linked ▁to ▁dent al ▁vis its . ▁Although , ▁at ▁a ▁glance , ▁the ▁ver bal ▁threat ▁and ▁inform ative ▁path way ▁are ▁similar , ▁in ▁od ont oph ob ia ▁the ▁two ▁path ways ▁differ ▁in ▁that ▁the ▁ver bal ▁threat ▁path way