The sense of distress that a child feels at seeing a stranger. This is part of normal development. It begins at 26 weeks and is usually well established between 8 and 10 months.
The species-specific response of human infants to strangers, in the period from 8 to 10 months of age.
Popular name for a young child’s shrinking from contact with unfamiliar people, a normal response in a child younger than two to 2½ years old. When it develops in older children and becomes disabling shyness, it is generally classified by psychiatrists as avoidant disorder of childhood or adolescence.