Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg Flashcards
Studies of cultural variations
Procedures?
- meta analysis of findings from 32 studies of attachment behaviour
- studies examined 2000+ strange situation classifications in 8 countries
- would there be inter-cultural differences (differences between different countries/cultures)
- would there be intra-cultural differences (differences between studies conducted within subcultures)
Findings?
- differences small in terms of variation between countries/cultures
- secure attachment = most common classification
- insecure avoidant attachment = next common (every country except Israel and Japan -> collectivist cultures)
- variation within cultures = 1.5x greater than variation between cultures
Conclusion?
Secure attachment = norm
Supports idea that secure attachment = ‘best’ for healthy social and emotional development
Supports view that attachment = innate and biological process
What did Grossmann and Grossmann (1991) find?
Higher levels of insecure attachment amongst German infants than other cultures
What was this due to?
Different child rearing practices
-> German culture = keeping some interpersonal distance between parents and children
= children do not engage in proximity-seeking behaviours
So they appear to be insecurely attached
What did Takahashi (1990) use the strange situation to do?
Study 60 middle class Japanese infants and their mothers
What were the results?
- infants showed no evidence of insecure-avoidant attachment
- high rates of insecure-resistant attachment (32%)
- distressed when left alone (for 90% of infants, study stopped at this point)
- due to different childcare practices; Japan, infants rarely experience separation from mothers -> explains why they were more distressed than American infants
- would make them appear insecurely attached
Conclusion?
Research shows there are differences in the patterns of attachment that can be related to differences in cultural attitudes/practices
Evaluation 1
Evaluation 2
Evaluation 3
