FEAR OF NOVELTY

DISCUSSES VARIABLES THAT AFFECT THE AGE OF APPEARANCE, THE FORM, AND THE INTENSITY OF VISUALLY PROVOKED FEARS IN ANIMALS. EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE FEAR OF NOVELTY IS DEPENDENT UPON THE PREVIOUS ENCODING OF THE FAMILIAR, AND THAT SUCH FEARS ARE ATTENUATED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE MOTHER ANIMAL. CLAIMS THAT REARING IN A VISUALLY LIMITED ENVIRONMENT PRODUCES A CHRONICALLY FEARFUL ANIMAL ARE QUESTIONED. THE HYPOTHESES THAT MATURATIONAL PROCESSES CONTRIBUTE TO BOTH THE DELAYED APPEARANCE AND THE CHANGING FORM OF FEAR REACTIONS ARE TENABLE, BUT EVIDENCE FAVORING SUCH POSITIONS IS NOT CONCLUSIVE. ANIMALS ALSO SEEM TO POSSESS A SPECIFIC FEAR OF OBJECTS APPROACHING THEM; THIS FEAR REACTION MAY NOT BE DEPENDENT UPON PREVIOUS VISUAL EXPERIENCE. (40 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.