Cultural Variations In Attachment

Question 1

What is van Ijzendoorn and kroonenberg (1988) study

Answer 1

• meta analysis of 32 studies
• 2,000 versions of the strange situation over 8 different countries
• looking for intercultural and intercultural differences

Question 2

Van Ijzendoorn and kroonenberg findings

Answer 2

• secure attachment was the most common in every country
• insecure avoidant attachment was next most common in every country except japan and Israel
• intra cultural differences were bigger than intercultural differences

Question 3

Cultural similarities - tronick et al (1992)

Answer 3

• infants are looked after and breastfed by different mothers within the social group
• however they sleep with their own mothers at night
• although sudden to western norms, children show a preference for a primary attachment figure

Question 4

Cultural differences - gross man and gross man (1991)

Answer 4

• in German culture child rearing practices favour independence form a young age
• as a result infants may appear to be insecure avoidant as they do not seek proximity to their mothers

Question 5

Criticism - issue with validity of strange situation

Answer 5

• designed by an American and trying to apply the theory to other cultures is imposed etics, disregards cultural uniqueness
• e.g western = individualist, japan = collectivist
• as a result Japan may seem insecurely attached according to western criteria

Question 6

Evaluation of meta analysis (w/ counterpoint)

Answer 6

• population validity is high
• large sample size
• more likely to be generalisable
• individual differences are reduced
• allows for us to reach an overall conclusion
• can be statistically tested
• however there sample was biased as most of the studies were done in individualist cultures
• may be difficult to generalise results to collectivist cultures

Question 7

Criticism of Ijzendoorn and kroonenberg- may be comparing counties and not cultures

Answer 7

• e.g a comparison between Great Britain and Israel found that within countries they have many of their own subcultures
• greater vary within counties than between countries
• they could of collected data on subcultures within countries and not the nation itself

Question 8

Criticism - other explanations aren’t considered (w/ counterpoint)

Answer 8

• e.g according to Bowlby attachment occurs globally due to innate mechanisms which aid the survival of the infant
• biological driven process which is the same between cultures
• however Ijzendoorn and kroonberg counter this and say that the similarities cross culturally may be due to mass exposure to similar media forms e.g tv