What does stranger anxiety in infants signify about their development?

What does stranger anxiety in infants signify about their development?

• A. They recognize themselves as separate from others.
• B. They fear unfamiliar people.
• C. They lack self-recognition.
• D. They display stranger anxiety as a sign of cognitive delay.

Answer: (A)

Stranger anxiety signals that the infant is developing self-awareness and the ability to differentiate self from others. When a baby begins to show wariness around unfamiliar people, it reflects an emerging sense that others are separate beings from themselves, which is a hallmark of recognizing one's own identity in relation to others. This is a normal milestone that accompanies growing attachment to caregivers and the development of object recognition. The behavior itself describes the response to unfamiliar people, but the significance is the child’s growing sense of self. It is not a sign of lacking self-recognition; rather, it indicates that self-recognition is forming. It’s also not evidence of cognitive delay, since this is a typical part of healthy development around that age.

Stranger anxiety signals that the infant is developing self-awareness and the ability to differentiate self from others. When a baby begins to show wariness around unfamiliar people, it reflects an emerging sense that others are separate beings from themselves, which is a hallmark of recognizing one's own identity in relation to others. This is a normal milestone that accompanies growing attachment to caregivers and the development of object recognition.

The behavior itself describes the response to unfamiliar people, but the significance is the child’s growing sense of self. It is not a sign of lacking self-recognition; rather, it indicates that self-recognition is forming. It’s also not evidence of cognitive delay, since this is a typical part of healthy development around that age.