See Page 1. Specific phobias may develop from past experiences, especially in childhood. Phobias As such, I will also consider whether viewing anxiety development in They shift blood flow from mostly the left hemisphere to mostly the right hemisphere. Introduction to Psychology Kalat chapter They learn that avoidance can reduce their anxiety (at least … Systematic desensitisation, first developed by Wolpe, treats patients by taking them through stages of fear. Models of abnormality etiology of phobias: An evaluation of the stress-diathesis model 23. Phobias can also be treated or reconditioned. If there is a disruption in the function of these important brain chemicals, the result for some people may be the development of a phobia like fear of driving.