When a child becomes upset and clingy when a parent leaves them, it is an example of _______ anxiety.

This scenario exemplifies separation anxiety, which is characterized by excessive distress experienced by a child when separated from their primary caregiver. Children typically display this anxiety in familiar environments, particularly during times of transitions or departures, like when a parent leaves. Separation anxiety is a normal developmental stage in early childhood, often observable between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, although it can occur at older ages as well.

Choices involving social anxiety pertain to fear or discomfort in social interactions with peers, while general anxiety encompasses a broader range of worries that are not limited to separation. Performance anxiety, on the other hand, is related to the fear of failing in a performance situation, which is not relevant to this particular emotional reaction. Thus, the appropriate term for the child's upset behavior when a parent departs is indeed separation anxiety.