A Latent Growth Examination of Fear Development in Infancy: Contributions of Maternal Depression and the Risk for Toddler Anxiety

The authors evaluated the developmental trajectory of child fearfulness in the first year of life, using parent report (Study 1) and laboratory-based observations (Study 2). The use of laboratory-based observations (Study 2) is of particular importance given lingering concerns regarding the limitations of parent report in the context of temperament assessment as well as extensive research linking maternal depression to potential perceptual distortions and subsequent over-reporting of negative child behaviors and emotional expressions.