Fear

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Fear is one of the primary emotions, and possibly the most pervading one in its implications to the development of the individual. Fear is not specific in the first half year of life. With the acquisition of perceptual differenation, the fear response begins to take shape. During early infancy, fear is most commonly elicited by unexpected loud noises, rapid or abrupt displacement in space, pain, strange events and sudden movements. As the child grows older, these stimuli become inadequate to elicit the same responses. and such new stimuli as darkness, solitude wild animals, storms, supernatural and mysterious phenomena and unusual and grotesque forms tend to elicit fear responses. in addition child acquires what might be called socialized fear respones to threates of school failure, social ridicule and personal inadequacy. This trend continues and becomes more pronounced with age.