neophobia
Fear of unfamiliar
Neophobia is fear or aversion to new things—new foods, new experiences, new ideas.
The term appears most often in contexts of child development and animal behavior: Food neophobia is common in toddlers.
More broadly, it describes resistance to novelty or change: His neophobia made him suspicious of any new technology.
Nervous anticipation of trouble
- trepidationFearful uncertainty
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- worryTroubled mental state
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
dread · discomfort · hesitation · wariness · reluctance · resistance · aversion · distress
Psychological ease boundary
- familiarityKnowledge through experience
- routineRegular sequence of actions
- habitSettled regular tendency
- samenessState of being identical
predictability · security · stability · conservatism · tradition · status quo · rigidity · entrenchment
Quality of being original
- unfamiliarityLack of prior knowledge
- changeTo make different
- strangersPeople unknown to you
- innovationCreating something original
unknown · uncertainty · foreignness · experimentation · technology · modernization · disruption · unpredictability
Reaction to perceived danger
- anxiety disorderMental illness causing overwhelming fear
- temperamentInborn behavioral nature
- personality traitConsistent behavioral pattern
- evolutionary psychologyStudy of adapted minds
survival instinct · openness · novelty-seeking · conditioning · desensitization · exposure therapy
Restricted diet by preference
- dietary restrictionRule about allowed foods
- exotic foodsUnusual dishes from abroad
- feeding difficultiesImpaired ability to eat
- sensory processingBrain interpreting incoming stimuli
apprehension
Nervous anticipation of trouble
- trepidationFearful uncertainty
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- worryTroubled mental state
nervousness · dread · discomfort · hesitation · wariness · reluctance · resistance · aversion · distress · tension
comfort zone
Psychological ease boundary
- familiarityKnowledge through experience
- routineRegular sequence of actions
- habitSettled regular tendency
sameness · predictability · security · stability · conservatism · tradition · status quo · rigidity · entrenchment · inertia
novelty
Quality of being original
- unfamiliarityLack of prior knowledge
- changeTo make different
- strangersPeople unknown to you
innovation · unknown · uncertainty · foreignness · experimentation · technology · modernization · disruption · unpredictability · adventure
fear of strangers
Dread of unfamiliar persons
- fear of changeAversion to alteration
fear response
Reaction to perceived danger
- anxiety disorderMental illness causing overwhelming fear
- temperamentInborn behavioral nature
- personality traitConsistent behavioral pattern
evolutionary psychology · survival instinct · openness · novelty-seeking · conditioning · desensitization · exposure therapy
selective eating
Restricted diet by preference
- dietary restrictionRule about allowed foods
- exotic foodsUnusual dishes from abroad
- feeding difficultiesImpaired ability to eat
- food aversionsfood poisoning, disgust, spoiled food, rotten smell, avoidance
- picky eatingchicken nuggets, mac and cheese
neophobianeophilia
Love of the new
novelty-seeking · thrill-seeking · adventurousness · curiosity · venturesome
neophobiaflexibility
Ability to adapt easily
open-mindedness · progressivism · adaptability · receptivity · forward-thinking
phobia, xenophobia, phobic, neo, xenophobic, phobias, xenophobe, claustrophobic, claustrophobia