DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND NORMAL FEAR

This paper reviews the extensive research examining developmental patt erns in normal fear. Areas of focus include age, gender, and socioecon omic status differences in fear content, prevalence, and intensity. Th e structure and stability/duration of normal fears are also discussed. Finally, the crosscultural research in this area is reviewed. Cross-s ectional and longitudinal studies indicate that fear decreases in prev alence and intensity with age. There are also major changes in the con tent of normal fear over the course of development. Such changes are c haracterised by a transition from infant fears which are related to im mediate, concrete, and prepotent stimuli, and which are largely noncog nitive, to fears of late childhood and adolescence which are related t o anticipatory, abstract, and more global stimuli and events. Fears of late childhood and adolescence are also more cognitive. One of the pr ominent themes during these years is social evaluation. It is notewort hy that fears have been demonstrated to be largely transitory in natur e, decreasing significantly in number and intensity over time and with maturation. Future research into normal fear should more closely exam ine the validity of current assessment techniques. There is also a nee d for research into the developmental correlates of fear, including in dividual differences and affective environmental experiences. In parti cular, research examining the correlates of normal fear within a devel opmental psychopathology framework is recommended.