MindTap Growth And Development Practice Test

Exposure to a negative family environment with overreactive stress responses tends to produce heightened anxiety and social withdrawal in a student. Chronic stress and insecure attachments elevate vigilance and physiological arousal, making the student fear social evaluation and expect danger, which shows up as anxiety and shyness in new or challenging situations. While aggression can occur in some stressed youths, the pattern described here more commonly reflects internalizing symptoms rather than outward acting out. High self-esteem is unlikely when ongoing stress and negative feedback undermine confidence, and sociability is less likely because anxiety and fear of negative judgments reduce willingness to engage with others. Therefore, anxiety and shyness best fit this scenario.