One-year-old Donnie is at the fair with his mother. A clown approaches and asks if she can make a balloon animal for Donnie. Donnie looks at the clown and frowns, and then looks at his mother. His mother smiles and nods, and Donnie turns to the clown and smiles. Donnie is exhibiting

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Donnie's behavior of looking at his mother before responding to the clown shows social referencing, which is the ability to use emotional signals from a familiar adult to regulate one's own behavior in an uncertain or unfamiliar situation. It is not stranger anxiety, as Donnie eventually smiles at the clown, and there is no evidence to suggest he has a fear of clowns. While social regulation is important for a child's development, it does not apply to this situation as Donnie is not regulating his own behavior to conform to social expectations or norms.

One-Year-Old Donnie Is at the Fair with His Mother