Which Fearful Toddlers Should We Worry About? Context, Fear Regulation, and Anxiety Risk

Survey data were used to explore whether expressing fear in situations low in threat at age two predicted the risk for developing anxiety by the start of kindergarten. Results supported the prediction such that it is not how much fear is expressed, but when the fear is expressed and how it is expressed that is important for characterizing adaptive behavior. Early intervention for children displaying a dysregulated fear profile may reduce the risk of later developing anxiety.