stranger anxiety
Fear of newcomers
Stranger anxiety is a developmental phase in infants, typically appearing around six to eight months, when babies become distressed or fearful around unfamiliar people.
Before this stage, infants generally accept attention from anyone; afterward, they show clear preference for caregivers and may cry or cling when approached by strangers.
The phase usually diminishes by age two as children develop greater social comfort.
- object permanenceKnowledge things persist unseen
- clingingGripping without release
- cryingEmotional tear release
- secure baseReliable attachment figure
- unfamiliarityLack of prior knowledge
new faces · fear of strangers · avoidance · wariness · comfort zone · self-soothing · attachment theory · temperament · stress response · mother · developmental milestones · bonding · hypervigilance · emotional regulation · trust-building · socialization · social cues · withdrawal
- developmentgrowth, progress, advancement, expansion, improvement
- child developmentbaby, toddler, newborn, infancy, milestones
- toddler behaviorstantrums, thumb sucking, crying, clinging, saying no
- child distressfear of dark, fearfulness, nervousness, nightmares, panic
- infant developmentbabbling, developmental milestones, crawling, first steps, developmental delay
- social fearssocial phobia, fear of judgment, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment, shyness
stranger anxietygregariousness
Love of being social
extroversion · sociability · outgoingness · approachability · friendliness
stranger anxietysecure attachment
Reliable caregiver-child emotional bond