This video describes some of the etiological theories for avoidant personality disorder. Possible etiological factors for avoidant personality disorder include genetics, trauma, physical abuse, and neglect. Lower levels of the expression of parental love and pride, parental intolerance, and guilt-engendering parental behavior are also associated with the development of avoidant personality disorder. A trait named behavioral inhibition is associated with avoidant personality disorder. Behavioral inhibition includes shyness, avoiding new experiences, avoiding strangers, and increased sensitivity and anxiety reactivity. Behavioral inhibition is a temperamental factor that is largely thought of as genetic.
One theory of why neglect and abuse and behavioral inhibition appear to be tied to the development of avoidant personality disorder is that the neglect and emotional abuse caused feelings of worthlessness. A person can feel that they are re not worthy of being loved because of the way they were treated. they don't see others as safe or supportive as they grow up so they tend to develop feelings of mistrust. This mistrust can be viewed as arrogant and it can make other people not want to interact with that individual. This leads to increased isolation, which leads back to a lower level of trust. There is a cycle that gets started with the abuse and the neglect and carries on into adolescence and adulthood.

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