cultural variation evaluation

Question 1

Name one evaluation point

Answer 1

One limitation of Ijenzdoom and Kroonberg is that they assessed the difference in countries and not cultures. For example, they compared China and Japan a place in which many subcultures exist which may have different child practices. Van Ijenzdoom and Sagi at al in 2001 found in a study of attachment that they were similar distributions of attachment styles in an urban Tokyo setting and western attachment studies. (Although the two researchers did find evidence of the differences in cultural variations). This suggests that there are problems when stating that there are cultural differences in attachment as it may just be between the countries.

Question 2

Name a second evaluation point

Answer 2

Research had challenged Van Ijzendoom’s conclusion drawn from his tidy of cultural variation of which he argued that attachment styles were universals and innate. The two later carried out a meta-analysis of 32 studies and found that cultural similarities could be explained in terms of mass media. This means that cultural similarities may not be due to innate biological factors but because of our increasing global culture.

Question 3

Name a third evaluation point

Answer 3

One limitation of research conducted in different countries is that there are questions about whether the tools are valid. Observational methods such as the strange situation are related to cultural assumptions of the designer I.e it is assumed that willingness to explore is a sign of secure attachment whereas in collectivist cultures or countries such as Japan value dependence rather than independence. Japanese infants may be seen as insecurely attached in the western world but in Japan, they may be seen as securely attached

Question 4

Name a fourth evaluation point

Answer 4

One limitation of Ainsworth’s study or studies concerning cultural variations in attachment is that they are rooted in cultural bias.