Is the depressed state of children when they are surrounded by unknown people. Stranger anxiety is a normal part of cognitive development: Babies differentiate caregivers from other people and that is why they prefer the familiar faces.
Background
According to Ainsworth (1973), “stranger anxiety” is the distress that newborns or young children feel when they come into contact with strangers. It is usual for children to experience worry around strangers, and this anxiety is seen as a healthy and natural aspect of a child’s social development. Growing and developing, newborns and young children become more conscious of their environment and start to feel a sense of attachment to their primary caregivers. They rely on this bond to feel comfortable and secure in their surroundings, and it is this sense of safety that is disturbed when they come across strangers.
Typically, a child’s fear of strangers first appears when they are between 6 and 9 months old and gets worse as they age. They have a feeling of object permanence at this point, which implies they are aware that things and people persist even when they are hidden from view. As a result, they could experience anxiety or worry when they come across strangers since they don’t fit into their preconceived notion of what a familiar person looks like.
What causes stranger anxiety?
There is no one component that can properly explain stranger anxiety because its causes are numerous and complex. However, there are a number of theories that assist to explain the underlying processes that give rise to infants’ and early children’s worry about strangers.
The attachment hypothesis, which holds that newborns and young children have an inbuilt need to create close ties with their primary caregivers, is one of the most widely used theories (Bowlby, 1969). According to this viewpoint, newborns’ fear of strangers is an adaptive reaction to the requirement for them to form these close relationships for survival. Infants may naturally become wary of strangers who might pose a threat to their safety as they become more aware of their environment and start to create bonds to their caretakers.
Finally, how a youngster reacts to strangers can vary depending on the circumstances of the interaction. For instance, a youngster may be more prone to develop fear about strangers if they are exhausted, hungry, or in another uncomfortable situation. The youngster may be more likely to experience anxiety and overwhelm if the encounter occurs in an intimidating or new setting, such as a busy mall or a noisy amusement park.
Examples
Here are some examples of stranger anxiety that parents or caregivers may observe in infants or young children:
- Crying or clinging when approached by unfamiliar people: This is perhaps the most common sign of stranger anxiety. Infants and young children may become visibly upset, cry, or cling to their caregiver when approached by strangers.
- Avoiding eye contact with strangers: Children who are experiencing stranger anxiety may avoid making eye contact with unfamiliar people, perhaps because they perceive this as a threat or a sign of aggression.
- Hiding behind or clinging to their caregiver: Children who are feeling anxious or distressed may seek comfort and protection from their caregiver by hiding behind them or clinging to their leg or arm.
- Becoming quiet or withdrawn in the presence of strangers: In some cases, children may not cry or become visibly upset, but may instead become quiet or withdrawn in the presence of strangers. They may avoid interacting with the stranger or may retreat into themselves.
- Refusing to be held or comforted by strangers: Children who are experiencing stranger anxiety may refuse to be held
Do all babies get stranger anxiety?
While a typical developmental milestone, stranger anxiety does not affect all infants equally or at the same time (Schaffer & Emerson, 1964). Depending on the child’s temperament, attachment type, and prior encounters with strange individuals, the degree and length of stranger fear might vary greatly. While some infants may show only a slight trepidation or wariness while among strangers, others might show more overt signs of anguish or anxiety. Furthermore, some kids could experience stranger phobia earlier or later than the average age range.
References
Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1973). The development of infant-mother attachment. In B. M. Caldwell & H. N. Ricciuti (Eds.), Review of child development research (Vol. 3, pp. 1-94). University of Chicago Press. https://www.scirp.org/(S(czeh2tfqw2orz553k1w0r45))/reference/referencespapers.aspx?referenceid=1000719
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books. https://mindsplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ATTACHMENT_AND_LOSS_VOLUME_I_ATTACHMENT.pdf
Schaffer, H. R., & Emerson, P. E. (1964). The development of social attachments in infancy. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 29(3), 1-77. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1165727