Fear of entering unfamiliar situation is known as:

The correct answer is Option (2) → Agoraphobia

Option (1) Social phobia — Incorrect. Social phobia (social anxiety disorder) is intense and incapacitating fear and embarrassment when dealing with others. The fear is of people and being judged, not of unfamiliar situations as such.

Option (2) Agoraphobia — Correct. Agoraphobia is the term used when people develop a fear of entering unfamiliar situations. Many people with agoraphobia are afraid of leaving their home, which severely limits their normal life.

Option (3) Claustrophobia — Incorrect. Claustrophobia is an intense fear of being in an enclosed space, such as a lift or a small room, and is one of the specific phobias. Its trigger is closed space, not unfamiliar places.

Option (4) Specific phobia — Incorrect. Specific phobias, the most common type, are irrational fears of particular objects or situations, such as a certain animal or an enclosed space. The fear in the question is of unfamiliar situations in general, which has its own name.

Note 1: The term in Option (3), ‘claustrophobia’, is not in the 2023-24 NCERT, which NTA followed in 2025, nor in NCERT (2025-26); both books only give fear of being in an enclosed space as an example of specific phobias. It is explained here for the benefit of the students.

Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2022 on 05-08-2022 (Slot 2), and in CUET (UG) 2023 on 31-05-2023 (Slot 3) and 15-06-2023 (Slot 3).