Attachment: Cultural variations in attachment Flashcards
Outline the Grossman and Grossman study from 1991
Higher levels of insecure attachment were found in German infants when compared to other cultures.
Explain the findings from the Grossman and Grossman study.
German cultures involve keeping inter-personal relationships at a distance between child and parents.
As a result, infants do not engage in proximity seeking behaviour and seem to be insecurely attached.
Outline Takashi’s study on middle class Japanese infants and their mothers.
Found evidence of there being similar rates of secure attachments to those found in Ainsworth’s study.
Explain the findings of Takashi’s study
No evidence of insecure-avoidant attachment
High rates of insecure-resistant attachment, 32%.
Infants particularly stressed on being alone, 90% of the study had to be stopped.
What conclusions can we draw from Grossman’s and Takashi’s study?
Attachments were strongest when formed with mothers.
Differences in patterns of attachment can be related to differences in cultural attitudes and practices
Outline Tronick’s study
Study was on the Efe tribe.
They lived in an extended family group.
The children were breastfed by different women.
Explain the findings of Tronick’s study on the Efe Tribe
Despite being breastfed by multiple women, the infants still slept with their actual mothers at night.
Despite these practices, the infants showed only one primary attachment.
What conclusions can we draw from Grossman and Grossman, Tronick and Takashi et al?
Despite there being cultural differences, the strongest attachments are formed with the mother.
Differences in patterns of attachment can be related to differences in cultural attitudes and practices.
Outline the aims of Kroonenberg’s study
Looked at proportions of secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure resistant attachments in different countries.
Looked at differences in the same country to see if there were any variations in culture.
Outline the procedures for Kroonenberg’s study
32 studies of attach found with strange situation used to find diff attach types.
32 studies done over 8 countries, results for 1,990 children.
Data meta-analysed with results combined and weighted for sample size.
Explain the findings for the Kroonenberg study
Sec attach was most common, varied proportion 75% Britain, 50% China
Insec-resist least common, varied proportion 3%Britain, 30% Israel
Insec-avoid- most common in Germany, least common in Japan
What conclusions can be drawn from the Kroonenberg study?
Results from studies within the same countries were 1.5x greater than the variations between countries.
One sample in USA had 46% secure attachment, another 90%
