Attachment: Cultural Variation In Attachment

Question 1

What was the aim of Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study

Answer 1

• looked at proportions of secure, insecure avoidant and insecure resistant attachments across a range of countries
• also looked at differences within the same countries

Question 2

Outline the procedure of Ijzendoorns and Kroonenberg’s study

Answer 2

• researchers located 32 studies of attachment where strange situation had been used
• these 32 studies were conducted in 8 countries, 15 being in the USA
• data across all studies was meta analysed

Question 3

What were the findings of ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study

Answer 3

• in all countries, secure attachment was most common - 75% in Britain to 50% in china
• insecure resistant least common
• insecure avoidant most commonly observed in Germany and least in japan
• variations between results of studies within the same country were 150% greater than those between countries

Question 4

Outline simonella et al’s study on cultural variation

Answer 4

• conducted a study in Italy to see if proportions of babies of different attachment types matched those found in previous studies
• researchers assessed 76 12 month old babies using strange situation
• 50% secure
• this is lower than the rate of secure attachments found in other studies, possibly because increasing number ofmothers work longer hours + use childcare

Question 5

Outline Jin et al’s study on cultural variation

Answer 5

• conducted a study to compare the proportions of attachment types in Korea to other studies
• strange situation used to asses 87 children
• disturb it on was similar to distrust in of attachment types in japan found in ijzendoorns and Kroonenberg’s study
• japan + Korea have similar child rearing practices so this would make sense

Question 7

What are the three evaluation points for cultural variations in attachment

Answer 7

• large samples used
• samples tend to be unrepresentative of culture
• Method of assessment is biased

Question 8

Outline ‘large samples used’ as an evaluation point for cultural variations in attachment

Answer 8

• combing results if different studies = very large samples
• ijzendoorn’s meta analysis - nearly 2000 babies + their primary attachment figures were assessed
• large samples increase internal validity + reduce impact of anomalous results

Question 9

Outline ‘samples tend to be unrepresentative of culture’ as an evaluation point for cultural variations in attachment

Answer 9

• meta analysis by ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s studied comparisons between countries, not necessarily cultures
• within any country there are many different cultures each with different child rearing practices
• so, comparisons between countries such as Italy and japan may have very little meaning

Question 10

Outline ‘Method of assessment is biased ’ as an evaluation point for cultural variations in attachment

Answer 10

• cross cultural psychology includes ideas of etic (cultural universals) and Emic (cultural uniqueness)
• strange situation was designed by an American researcher based on a British theory (Bowlbys)
• trying to apply a theory or technique designed for one culture to another culture is known as ‘imposed etic’
• for example, lack of separation anxiety may indicate an insecure attachment. I’m Germany, this may simply be regarded as independence