Cultural Differences in Attachment

Question 1

What did Belsky (1999) propose?

Answer 1

Insecure attachment types are associated with weak adult relationships and early sexual activity.

Question 2

What would be indicated if different patterns of attachment types were found across cultures?

Answer 2

• That attachment types are learned and not biological.
• Learned through exposure to different cross-cultural child rearing practices.

Question 3

How do social attitudes affect attachment type?

Answer 3

• In Great Britain, an insecure avoidant attachment is seen negatively; whereas, in Germany, independence is valued more highly and thus viewed more positively.
• Explains why German infants are more likely to be classified as insecure avoidant than British infants.

Question 4

What was the method in Mi-Kyoung (2005)?

Answer 4

Compared 87 Korean families and 113 American families.

Question 5

What were the results of Mi-Kyoung (2005)?

Answer 5

• Korean infants did not stay close to their mothers and when their mother returned, they were more likely to play with their infants.
• The proportion of securely attached infants was similar in both cultures.
• Indicates that different child rearing practices could lead to secure attachment.

Question 6

What happened in Malin (1997)?

Answer 6

• Observed Australian aboriginal infants who tend to stay close to their mothers and use them as secure bases.
• Because of difference in Australian aboriginal child-rearing practices the infants were incorrectly labelled as insecurely attached.

Question 7

What is a weakness of the Strange Situation due to cultural differences?

Answer 7

• Rogoff (2003) found that beacuse African American infants are encouraged to be friendly to strangers, the Strange Situation activates their instincts to explore.
• Indicates that the Strange Situation has different meaning for different cultures.