... This in turn can have a damaging effect on personal and professional relationships. Specific phobias concern particular effects or objects. They can range from claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces) to arachnophobia (fear of spiders). Some of these phobias can be eccentric however some can be life changing, and much like social phobias can disrupt normal life, interfering with work and social relationships. (Melville, J, 1977) With both social and specific phobias affecting a huge proportion of the population and in some cases as mentioned interfering greatly with people's life's, a lot of research has been done to investigate the causes of phobias. Scientists have not pinpointed the exact causes of phobias; however there are a number of theories identified such as psychodynamic, learning and biological that will be discussed. Psychodynamic theories, is one possible cause of phobias. This theory proposed by Sigmund Freud emphasises the influence of developmental experience in shaping personality. ...

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