cultural variations in attchment

Question 1

who investigated cultural variations in attachment

Answer 1

Van IJzendoorn & Kroonenberg

Question 2

what was Van Ijzendoorn’s procedure

Answer 2

The results of 32 studies across 8 countries were analysed, containing the results for 1,990 children (meta-analysis)

Question 3

what were Van Ijzendoorn’s findings

Answer 3

In all countries, secure attachment was most common. Insecure-resistant was the least common type overall, apart from in Japan and Israel, where insecure-avoidant was the least common. Variations between cultures were actually less than variations within cultures.

Question 4

Simonella et al

Answer 4

Found 50% of 12 month-olds in Italy were securely attached, 36% insecure-avoidant, so lower rates of secure attachment than shown in older studies.

Question 5

Jin et al

Answer 5

87 Korean infants were studied, and very similar results were found to the Japanese infants in the van IJzendoorn study, perhaps reflecting the cultural similarities between the countries.

Question 6

conclusion of cultural variation studies

Answer 6

Secure attachment is the primary attachment type for infants from all cultures, although there were differences in the levels of it, and the other attachment types, suggesting that culture does affect attachment. Differences within cultures are more significant than between cultures.

Question 7

one strength of Van Ijzendoorns research

Answer 7

large sample sizes, increasing the internal validity of the results (as the impact of ‘outliers’ or anomalous results is lessened).

Question 8

one limitation of Van Ijzendoorn’s research

Answer 8

the method of assessment is biased. it imposes a USA test on other cultures. (imposed etic)

Question 9

another limitation of Van Ijzendoorn’s research

Answer 9

samples are unrepresentative of culture. countries are not not cultures.