Which age group primarily exhibits stranger anxiety?

Stranger anxiety typically manifests in infants aged 6 months to 1 year, making this the correct choice. During this developmental stage, infants begin to form attachments to primary caregivers and develop a sense of familiarity. As they encounter new people, they may react with fear or distress, reflecting their burgeoning understanding of social boundaries and relationships. This behavior often reflects the infant's cognitive development and emerging social awareness, as they differentiate between known and unknown individuals.

While toddlers aged 1-2 years may also experience anxiety with strangers, it is usually in a less intense form since their social and emotional skills are further developed compared to infants. Newborns generally do not exhibit stranger anxiety, as they have not yet formed specific attachments or the ability to recognize familiar versus unfamiliar individuals. Preschoolers may have other social fears but typically have already navigated the stranger anxiety stage.