Cross Cultural Variation in Attachment

Question 1

who carried out the experiment

Answer 1

Van Ijzendoorn

Question 2

Aim of study

Answer 2

To investigate the types of attachment (strange situation) across cultures and to see how the three main attachment styles applied

to investigate if attachment styles are universal across cultures

Question 3

study method

Answer 3

meta analysis (analyses data from other studies)
data from 32 studies in 8 different countries - all used strange situation procedure

calculate average for each attachment style in each country

Question 4

results of study

Answer 4

secure attachment most common in all cultures
lowest secure= china
highest secure= gb

individualist countries e.g. germany has high levels of insecure avoidant
collectivist cultures had high levels of insecure resistant eg japan

Question 5

study conclusion

Answer 5

some innate characteristics that can create an attachment bond, however variations of insecure attachments that suggest it could be down to environmental factors

Question 6

strengths of van ijzendoorn

Answer 6

large sample , increase internal validity
controlled
not culturally bound
can be replicated

Question 7

weaknesses of van ijzendoorn

Answer 7

assumes that behaviour has same meaning in all countries and created in USA so culturally biased
some had greater differences in results within the country than between two eg. 1 japanese sample more similar to 2 US samples than the other Japan ones