Chapter 3.8 - Cultural variations in attachment Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is meant by cultural variations?
The differences in norms and values that exist between people in different groups
Describe IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s procedure
- Meta analysis of 32 studies of the strange situation
- Conducted in 8 countries, 15 were in the US
- Results of 1,990 children
What were the findings of their research?
- Individualist cultures: rates of I-R A were similar to the original sample ( all under 14%)
- Collectivist cultures: rates if I-R A were above
Describe an Italian study
- 76 babies ages 12 months were assessed using the strange situation
- 50% were secure, lower rate
- 36% were insecure-avoidant, higher rate
What does the Italian study suggest?
That this is because of the increasing number of mothers with very young children who work long hours and use professional childcare
- The patterns of attachment types are not static but vary with cultural change
Describe a Korean study
- 87 babies were assessed using the strange situation
- Overall proportions of insecure and secure babies were similar to most countries
- Most of the insecure were insecure-resistant and only one was avoidant
- Similar distribution found in Japan: similar child rearing styles
What conclusion can be made?
- Secure attachment seems to be the norm in many cultures, supporting Bowlby’s idea that attachment is innate and universal
- Research shows that cultural practices have an influence on attachment type
What is a strength of research on cultural variations in attachment? (indigenous researchers)
- Indigenous psychologists are those from the same cultural background as the participants
- Most of the research was conducted by them
- Avoided potential problems in cross-cultural research such as misunderstanding of languages used by participants or difficulty communicating to them AND bias of nation’s stereotypes
- The researchers and participants communicated successfully- enhancing the validity of the data collected
What is a counterpoint of research on cultural variations in attachment? (indigenous researchers)
- Not all cross-cultural research had indigenous researchers
- Morelli and Tronick were outsiders from America when studying child rearing and patterns of attachment in the Efé of Zarie
- Data might be affected by difficulties in gathering data from participants outside their own culture
- Data might have been affected by bias and miscommunication
What is a limitation of research on cultural variations in attachment? (confounding variables)
- Studies are not matched for methodology when compared in meta analyses
- Poverty, social class, and age of participants can confound results
- Environmental variables: room size and availability of interesting toys
-> more exploration in small rooms with attractive toys than large, bare rooms
-> less proximity seeking due to room size might make a child to be avoidant - doesn’t tell us about cross-cultural patterns of attachment
What is a limitation of research on cultural variations in attachment? (imposed etic)
- imposed etic is when we assume an idea/technique that works in one cultural context will work in another
- Britain and US, lack of affection on reunion may indicate avoidant attachment
- Germany, behaviour would be interpreted as independence rather than insecurity
- Behaviours measured by the strange situation may not have the same meanings in different cultural contexts, comparing across cultures is meaningless
What is a further evaluation of research on cultural variations in attachment? (competing explanations)
- similar attachment types in different countries is explained by identifying attachments as innate and universal
- global media represents a particular view of how parents and babies are meant to behave
- may override traditional cultural differences in the way children are brought up
