Question

rita, an infant, refrains from interacting with caregivers whom she has never seen before. she either withdraws into herself or gets agitated when she is among strangers. in this case, which dimension of rita's temperament is exhibited?

Answer 1

Rita exhibits high levels of reactivity, a dimension of temperament, in response to the new stimulus of unfamiliar caregivers, indicating stranger anxiety which is a common developmental behavior in infants.

Step-by-step explanation:

Rita, the infant mentioned, exhibits signs of distress such as withdrawal or agitation around caregivers she has never seen before, which can be associated with a dimension of her temperament. There are several dimensions of temperament important in personality development, but the one Rita is displaying is likely related to reactivity. Reactivity involves how we respond to new or challenging environmental stimuli. In Rita's case, her discomfort or agitated state around strangers signifies a high level of reactivity, which is her immediate response to the unfamiliar stimulus of a new caregiver. This is a common behavior noted by developmental psychologists like Piaget who highlighted stranger anxiety as part of children's development, and it occurs when a child cannot fit new faces into their known schema of trusted individuals. It's also important to consider that a child's response can be influenced by the attachment style they've developed with their caregivers, as researched by Ainsworth and others.