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b'Widespread news reports of \\u201ccreepy clowns\\u201d tie into a real fear that could stem from various sources, says a doctor specializing in forensic psychiatry at Upstate. Fear of clowns, called coulrophobia, has been around for centuries and may tie in to a primitive fear of people with a deformed appearance, says Viral Goradia, MD. It could also relate to the \\u201cuncanny valley\\u201d hypothesis, which describes how dolls or robots that appear almost human evoke fear and revulsion. This and other phobias can also come from childhood \\u2013 either through a traumatic experience or a behavior learned from one\\u2018s parents, Goradia explains. Widespread news reports of \\u201ccreepy clowns\\u201d tie into a real fear that could stem from various sources, says a doctor specializing in forensic psychiatry at Upstate. Fear of clowns, called coulrophobia, has been around for centuries and may tie in to a primitive fear of people with a deformed appearance, says Viral Goradia, MD. It could also relate to the \\u201cuncanny valley\\u201d hypothesis, which describes how dolls or robots that appear almost human evoke fear and revulsion. This and other phobias can also come from childhood \\u2013 either through a traumatic experience or a behavior learned from one\\u2018s parents, Goradia explains.'