83. Which of the following aspects of child development emerges around the same time as stranger anxiety?
Answer: D
Attachment to caregiver
Stranger anxiety emerges during a period when children begin to form strong attachments to their primary caregivers. This developmental milestone typically occurs around 6 to 12 months of age, coinciding with the deepening of the child's bond with their caregiver.
A) Abstract reasoning
Abstract reasoning is a cognitive skill that develops later in childhood, usually around the age of 11 or 12, and is associated with formal operational thought. It does not emerge concurrently with stranger anxiety, which is linked to emotional and social development in infancy.
B) Theory of mind
Theory of mind, the ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives different from one's own, typically develops around age 4 to 5. This is significantly later than the onset of stranger anxiety, which occurs much earlier in the first year of life.
C) Peer relationships
Peer relationships begin to develop in early childhood, often around age 3 or 4. However, these relationships are not present at the same time as stranger anxiety, which is primarily focused on the attachment to caregivers during infancy.
D) Attachment to caregiver
Attachment to caregiver develops around the same time as stranger anxiety, as both phenomena are part of the emotional growth during infancy. Children start to exhibit distress when separated from their primary caregivers and may react with fear to unfamiliar individuals, indicating their strong attachment.
E) Symbolic play
Symbolic play typically begins to emerge around age 2, as children start to use objects to represent other things in their play. This developmental skill occurs after the onset of stranger anxiety, making it unrelated in timing to this emotional response.
Conclusion
Attachment to caregiver is the only option that directly correlates with the emergence of stranger anxiety, as both occur during the same developmental phase in infancy. Other options, such as abstract reasoning, theory of mind, peer relationships, and symbolic play, develop at different stages and do not share the same timeline as stranger anxiety.