There is much confusion over whether to approach or avoid the caregiver. The attachment pattern can emerge into fear of being hurt and therefore later having difficulty getting into close relationships and resisting people from really getting to know the once disorganized infant. .
The theories of attachment are beneficial in recognizing problems that are not observed by others, such as neglect, abuse or unstable homes. But these same theories can have a negative effect. False accusations can be made on a parent whose child is showing a disorganized or avoidant attachment. Attachment bonds or their lack of can be formed not only by the caregiver but also the temperament of the child. .
There are five components of development of temperament: activity level, irritability/negative emotionality, soothability, fearfulness, and sociability. Infants who are less fearful can escape affliction from parents who expose infant to highly unusual stimulations. Whether the environment influences the development of temperament or each individual is born with a certain "DNA temperament" we probably do not know but I"d say both form each other. Our environment forms our temperament and our temperament forms our environment. In relation to attachment, some correlations can be made. Consider a baby who is born with colic. The temperament is already formed. It may not be emotional cries but physically the baby will be constantly fussy and crying. This in turn may cause the parents of the infant to feel nervous, stressful, or even defeated giving up on trying to soothe the child. So who caused the attachment development the infant or the parent/the temperament or the environment?.
The environment of an infant, child, or adolescent is never exactly the same. Bad situations can become better and good situations can go bad. Therefore attachment theories may be correct for the time they exist but an unattached infant can definitely be an attached child showing different emotionality from infancy to adulthood.
