Lesson 9 - Cultural Variations

Question 1

Ainsworth in Uganda(1967)

Answer 1

• 2 year naturalistic observation

-mother-infant interaction

• 26 mothers + infants
• 6 villages surrounding Kampala
• observed mothers more ‘sensitive’ to infants had more ‘securely attached’ infants
• increased competence and independence

Question 2

Simonella in Italy(2014)

Answer 2

• Strange situation of 76 12 month olds
• 50% securely attached

• 36% insecure-avoidant
-lower rate than other studies

• Researchers argue increase of women in work + professional childcare use
• Cultural changes make dramatic difference to patterns of secure/insecure attachment

Question 3

Jin et al in Korea(2012)

Answer 3

• Strange Situation w/ 87 children
• Proportion of insecure + secure babies similar to most countries

• Insecure mostly insecure resistant
-only one insecure-avoidant

• Similar results to Japan
-similar child-rearing style

Question 4

Tronick et al(1992)

Answer 4

• Infants breastfed by different women
-usually slept with mothers

• still showed primary attachment
• monotropy supported

Question 5

Takahashi(1990)

Answer 5

• Strange situation 60 middle-class Japanese infants + mothers
• Similar secure/insecure attachments

• No insecure-avoidant
-high insecure-resistant (32%)

• Infants distressed when left alone
-study was stopped for 90% of infants

• infants rarely left alone from mothers
-child-rearing diff

Question 6

Grossman & Grossman(1991)

Answer 6

• German infants tended to be insecurely attached

• Diff child-rearing practices
-parents/children maintain interpersonal distance

Question 7

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonernberg(1998)

-What was it

Answer 7

• Meta-analysis of 32 studies

* 2000 strange situations in 8 countries

Question 8

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonernberg(1998)

-Findings

Answer 8

Question 9

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonernberg(1998)

-Conclusions

Answer 9

• Secure attachment most common regardless of culture
-most babies thus form secure attachments

• Secure attachment is most healthy for social and emotional development
-this kind of attachment is innate

• Cultural practises can have significant impact on likelihood of baby forming insecure-avoidant or insecure-resistant attachment

Question 10

Cultural variation in attachment Strengths

Answer 10

• Large samples

• 2000 babies in Van Ijzendoorn meta-analysis
• strength because large samples increase internal validity
• reducing impact of anomalous results caused by bad methodology or very unusual PPs

Question 11

Cultural variation in attachment Weaknesses

Answer 11

• Method of assessment is biased

–idea of emic and etic

• emic is uniqueness of culture
• etic is cultural universality
• Strange situation in non Western culture is example of imposed etic
• Eg is separation anxiety and lack of pleasure on reunion indicate insecure attachment in Strange Situation
• In Germany can be seen as independence rather than avoidance
• not insecurity

— Rothbaum et al(2000) argue attachment theory rooted in American culture

• 3 major difference comparing American and Japanese culture
• sensitivity hypothesis
• continuity hypothesis
• secure-base hypothesis

Question 12

Sensitivity hypothesis

Answer 12

• sensitive mother encourages child to be independent

* in Japan sensitivity is about dependence rather than independence

Question 13

Continuity hypothesis

Answer 13

• Infants more securely attached develop more socially and emotionally

-Western culture’s ‘emotionally competent’ has diff meanings

• in Japan individuals are not expected to show and share emotions
-diff compared to other cultures

Question 14

Secure-base hypothesis

Answer 14

• Secure attachments seen to provide with secure base to explore
-promotes independence

• Dependence-oriented in Japan