Final answer:
The effect of insensitive parenting on an infant's security of attachment is magnified when the infant has a strong temperament. This complex dynamic is particularly challenging for insensitive caregivers and can lead to or reinforce insecure attachment patterns in children.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effect of insensitive parenting on an infant's security of attachment is magnified when the infant has a strong temperament. This is because children with difficult temperaments display more intense negative emotions and have a harder time adapting to change and regulating their emotions, which can be extra challenging for insensitive parents and exacerbate attachment issues.
According to attachment theory, developed by Ainsworth and others, secure attachment arises when caregivers are sensitive and responsive to their children's needs. In contrast, with avoidant, resistant, and disorganized attachment, which result from less responsive caregiving, children may show various behaviors such as unresponsiveness, extreme disturbance upon separation, or erratic behavior upon reunion.
Furthermore, a difficult temperament may challenge the parents and potentially evoke irritation or cause them to withdraw, which could reinforce insecure attachment patterns, particularly in cases where parenting is already insensitive.