3. ATTACHMENT (Cultural Variations in Attachment) Flashcards
What is meant by “culture” in the context of attachment studies?
Culture refers to the customs, morals, and ways of interacting that bind members of a society together. It can be divided into individualist cultures (value independence) and collectivist cultures (value interdependence).
What is a meta-analysis?
A meta-analysis is the process of combining results from several studies with similar research questions or methods to provide an overall view of the findings.
What was the aim of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s (1988) study?
The aim was to investigate attachment types across cultures and determine whether attachment styles are universal (apply to all cultures) or culture-bound (specific to certain cultures).
How many studies and infants were involved in Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s meta-analysis?
The study involved 32 studies from 8 countries and a sample of 1,990 infants.
What were the key findings of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study regarding secure attachment?
Secure attachment was the most common type in all countries. The highest percentage was in Great Britain (75%) and the lowest in China (50%).
What were the key findings of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study regarding insecure-resistant attachment?
Israel had the highest percentage of insecure-resistant attachment (29%), and Great Britain had the lowest (3%).
What were the key findings of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study regarding insecure-avoidant attachment?
Germany had the highest percentage of insecure-avoidant attachment (35%), while Japan had the lowest (5%).
What did Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg conclude from their study?
They concluded that secure attachment is universal, suggesting some aspects of attachment are innate, but cultural child-rearing practices influence variations in attachment types.
What does the study by Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg reveal about variation within cultures?
Variation within cultures was 1.5 times greater than variation between cultures, indicating significant diversity even within the same country.
What criticism did Takahashi (1990) have regarding the use of the Strange Situation in Japan?
Takahashi found that Japanese infants showed greater instances of insecure-resistant attachment compared to Western cultures, and the Strange Situation caused extreme distress due to Japanese infants rarely being left alone. This could lead to misclassification of securely attached children as insecure-resistant.
What did Takahashi (1990) conclude about the Strange Situation in Japan?
Takahashi concluded that the Strange Situation did not have the same meaning for Japanese infants as it did for American infants, as their attachment behaviours were influenced by cultural practices where infants are rarely separated from their mothers.
What is a limitation of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s meta-analysis regarding sample representativeness?
The sample may not be representative of attachment types within each country because the studies used were small and did not account for subcultures (e.g., social class, ethnicity, rural vs urban areas).
What is a strength of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s meta-analysis?
A strength is its large sample size (1,990 infants), which increases the internal validity and reduces the impact of biased methodology or unusual participants.
What is the issue of “imposed etic” in cross-cultural attachment research?
Imposed etic occurs when a research method or idea from one culture (e.g., the Strange Situation) is used in another culture, potentially leading to misinterpretation of behaviour. For example, in Germany, independence may be seen as avoidant behaviour, but in Western cultures, it’s considered secure.
What is a limitation of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study in relation to temperament?
Kagan (1982) argued that temperament, rather than attachment type, could influence behaviour in the Strange Situation. This means that variations in attachment types may be due to inherent temperament differences rather than cultural practices.
