cultural variations in attachment

Question 1

what does cultural variation mean?

Answer 1

Culture’ refers to the norms and values that exist within any group of people. Cultural variations are the differences in norms and values that exists between people in different groups. In attachment research we are concerned with the differences in the proportion of children of different attachment types

Question 2

van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) - aim

Answer 2

To investigate the proportions of different attachment types across cultures and within countries.

Question 3

van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) - Procedure

Answer 3

Meta-analysis of 32 studies from eight countries, including 15 in the USA.

Question 4

What did van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) find regarding attachment types between countries?

Answer 4

-secure was the highest
-insecure-resistant highest in japan and israel.
-insecure-avoidant highest in Germany (36%)

Question 5

Jin et al (2012)

Answer 5

conducted a korean study comparing proportions of attachment types in korea with other studies. they used the strange situation on 87 children. the proportions of secure and insecure attachments were similar to those in most countries. what did change was the amount classified as insecure resistant which had increased, while just one was insecure-avoidant. Similar to the study in Japan (VI & K)

Question 6

strength of indigenous research?

Answer 6

Van Ijzendoom & Kroonenberg included research by a German team (Glossman et al 1981) and Keiko Takahishi (1986) this means that many potential problems in cross-cultural research can be avoided meaning that there is an excellent chance at enhancing the validity.

Question 7

one weakness of cultural studies?

Answer 7

one weakness is that the samples are not necessarily representative of cultures but more of countries. For example, the Tronick study where they studied the efe tribe. he found that the child could be nurtured by multiple women yet still have one primary attachment to the mother when passed back at night. This shows that attachment types differ around every country.

Question 8

one alternative explantions?

Answer 8

Bowlby argued that the reason for cultural similarities is because attachment is innate, and therefore universal, leading to behavioural similarities around the world. According to v I and K, small cross-cultural differences are due to the effects of mass media where books and TV programmes advocate similar ideas about parenting and are shared around the world.