Abstract
Separation anxiety refers to the negative affect in anticipation of or subsequent to departure or loss of an attachment figure. Attachment by definition implies a desire to be close to a particular individual; thus, separation from loved ones is expected to be distressing for infants and adults alike. The behavioral manifestations of separation anxiety have a distinctive developmental course of increase and then decline. Research with infants, children, and adults has identified marked individual differences in proneness to worry about anticipated separations, and in the degree and duration of negative affect when separation occurs.
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© 1990 Plenum Press, New York
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Crowell, J.A., Waters, E. (1990). Separation Anxiety. In: Lewis, M., Miller, S.M. (eds) Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7142-1_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7142-1_16
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