stranger anxiety

the distress and apprehension experienced by young children when they are around individuals who are unfamiliar to them. Stranger anxiety is a normal part of cognitive development: Babies differentiate caregivers from other people and display a strong preference for familiar faces. Stranger anxiety usually begins around 8 or 9 months of age and typically lasts into the 2nd year. Also called fear of strangers. See also separation anxiety; xenophobia.

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

weight regulation

a process, governed by a complex array of neural mechanisms and structures (including the hypothalamus), in which the brain seeks an optimum balance between an organism’s food intake and energy expenditure after a certain body weight is achieved. A number of other factors, such as environmental stimuli, may influence the process as well.