dietary neophobia

avoidance of new foods. A nonpathological form is commonly seen in children who display a reluctance to try unfamiliar food. Acceptance of novel diets may be facilitated through observation of others eating similar foods or, in some cases, by simply observing others eating familiar foods. In some nonhuman primates, parents or other caretakers appear more likely to offer or share foods that are novel to their young than foods that are familiar to them.

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

Meckel’s syndrome

a congenital disorder marked by microcephaly; eye, ear, and olfactory abnormalities; and varying degrees of brain-tissue anomalies. Some affected children show premature closure of skull sutures. The patients either are stillborn or die in early infancy. [Johann Friedrich Meckel (1781–1833), German anatomist]