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Chapter 10 Social-Emotional Development in the First Year 283
Of course, some fear is good. Too much fear,
however, is not healthy. Fear affects motor and
intellectual development because fearful babies
often will not welcome new experiences.
Anxiety
Anxiety is fear of a possible future event.
Sometimes the words worry and concern are used
to describe anxiety. The fi rst anxiety of an infant is
called separation anxiety, which is the fear that
loved ones who leave them with other caregivers
will not return. Separation anxiety is seen around
8 months of age and peaks between 10 and
18 months (Figure 10.7). The reason very young
infants show little separation anxiety is because
of their limited intellectual development. Young
babies have not yet become attached to certain
people. They do not know parents or main care-
givers are somewhere else when out of sight or
how long they will be gone. These young babies
are accepting of all who care for them. There are
some indications of anxiety, however, between 4 and
6 months of age. (Review Figure 10.5.)
Around 8 months of age, infants develop the
idea about their loved ones being somewhere else
when out of sight. They also begin to anticipate
future events. During this time, infants become
displacement causes the refl ex. For example, by
four or fi ve months of age, infants may show some
wariness of adult strangers, called stranger fear.
They may even see adults they know who have new
hairstyles, hats, sunglasses, or other such changes,
as unfamiliar. Infants do not seem to have the
same reaction to adults seen from back view or to
young children they do not know.
Fear, as an emotion, occurs around six months
of age. To experience true fear, infants must know
they can be hurt. Three kinds of fear include the
following:
• Fear of the unknown. Infants fear adult
strangers, a new bed, or a sudden movement.
They also fear different sounds, such as
thunder or a siren.
• Fear learned from direct experiences. Infants
may fear getting soap in their eyes, being
in a doctor’s offi ce, or seeing a snapping
dog because of a negative past experience.
• Fear learned from adult infl uence. What
adults say and how they act affect babies’
fears. Adults who act or look fearful in a
storm, for example, will cause children
to be fearful. Adults who tell babies that
many situations can hurt them teach
children to fear.
Figure 10.7 Separation anxiety
is a baby’s fear that a loved
one who leaves him or her
with other caregivers will not
return. What are some ways
caregivers can soothe babies
with separation anxiety?