Attachment - Cultural Variations in Attachment

Question 1

Culture

Answer 1

The shared beliefs and values of members of a particular society

Question 2

What are present in Western society which are based on things such as class and race?

Answer 2

Subcultures

Question 3

What may members of different cultures not share with members of other cultures?

Answer 3

The same norms and values

Question 4

Individualistic culture

Answer 4

A culture which emphasises person independence and achievement at expense of group goals, resulting in stronger sense of competition

Question 5

Collectivist culture

Answer 5

Culture which emphasises family and work goals above individual needs and desires. High sense of interdependence

Question 6

Which study looked into cultural variations? (IMPORTANT)

Answer 6

Van Ijzendoorn’s (VI) study

Question 7

What did Van Ijzdendoorn (VI) and Kroonenberg complete in 1988?

Answer 7

A meta-analysis 32 studies across 8 countries using Ainsworth’s Strange Situation. Almost 2000 babies studied

Question 8

Where were attachment types studied?

Answer 8

Attachment types between and within cultures were studied

Question 9

What was the most common attachment in all cultures according to Van Ijzendoorn (VI)?

Answer 9

Secure attachment

Question 10

What country had the highest number of insecure-avoidant children according to Van Ijzendoorn (VI)?

Answer 10

West Germany

Question 11

What country had a high proportion of insecure-resistant children, but very few insecure-avoidant children according to Van Ijzendoorn (VI)?

Answer 11

Japan

Question 12

What suggests cultures have subcultures within them from Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study?

Answer 12

1.5x more variation of attachment types within cultures, than between cultures

Question 13

Which country had the highest proportion of secure attachment according to Van Ijzendoorn (VI)?

Answer 13

Great Britain

Question 14

Example of how differences were found within cultures

Answer 14

One Japanese study showed no insecure-avoidant babies, but the second found around 20% insecure-avoidant attachment babies

Question 15

Positive evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: Sample size

Answer 15

Large sample size - increased validity

Question 16

Positive evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: Conclusion

Answer 16

Secure attachments were the most common attachment type in all cultures studied

Question 17

Positive evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: Meta-analysis

Answer 17

The sample can be considered as more representative as results in large analysis can’t generally be affected by anomalies

Question 18

Negative evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: America

Answer 18

18/32 studied carried out in America (individualistic culture)

Question 19

Negative evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: Class

Answer 19

Class of infants unknown and this may influence results

Question 20

Negative evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: Strange situation

Answer 20

Designed for US so doesn’t necessarily fit norms and values of collectivist cultures

Question 21

Negative evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: Biased

Answer 21

It could be argued that the method is biased and not a true representation of cultural variations as it could be sees as wrong to apply individualistic theories between cultures

Question 22

Negative evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn (VI)’s study: Questioned comparisons

Answer 22

Studies compare countries instead of cultures

Question 23

What could explain the avoidant behaviour on separation for infants in Great Britain and US?

Answer 23

Many children are used to being in daycare but aren’t used to strangers

Question 24

How does Japanese culture explain why 68% of infants in Japanese studied had secure attachments?

Answer 24

• Individualistic culture
• Japanese children rarely left by their mother
• Distress shown when mother leaves is most likely due to shock, rather than an insecure attachment
• Distress shown when Japanese children are left alone with a stranger is probably due to absence of mother, rather than stranger anxiety

Question 25

What does Grossman say about German parents?

Answer 25

They seek ‘independent, non-clingy infants, who do not make demands on parents’