Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 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?