Cultural variations

Question 1

What are the studies that support that type B is universal

Answer 1

Ainsworth’s work in Uganda, Tronick’s work with the Efe tribe in DRC and Fox’s work in the Israeli Kibbutz

Question 2

What are the studies that suggest type B is not univsersal

Answer 2

Takahashi(Japan) and Grossman and Grossman(Germany)

Question 3

What is a meta-analysis?

Answer 3

method of using existing studies to analyse overall findings- it has to use the same research questions and the same methodology and collating the results for an overall effect

Question 4

What were the details of Van Ljzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s meta analysis

Answer 4

32 studies

8 different countries

15 of 32 studies were conducted in US

1990 was the sample size

Question 5

What did the findings of the meta analysis show

Answer 5

Type B is the mode in all countries

Eastern Collectivist cultures are high in type c

Western Individualistic have high type A

150% more differences found intra-culturally then inter-culturally

Question 6

Strengths of the meta analysis

Answer 6

Internal validity- Large number of participants in research which increases the internal validity of the results

Use of indigenous researchers- Takahashi and Grossman and Grossman were both from their countries of study so there is less of a language barrier and a better understanding of cultures within the country

Question 7

Weaknesses of the meta analysis

Answer 7

Unrepresentative- Van ljzendoorn and Kroonenberg compared attachment types between countries and not cultures within the cultures so it is unrepresentative

Methodology- He suggested that the original measured anxiety and temperament rather than attachment styles challenging the validity of the procedure and he proposed that the behaviours observed might be more influenced by a child’s innate personality rather than the quality of attachment

Sample bias- 15 of the 32 studies were conducted in America so lacks representation of collectivist cultures

Temporal validity- This means that the study may lack temporal validity and may be limited to its time because parenting ideas may be very different to what they were when the study was conducted due to the spreading of different parenting ideas so it suggests that cross-cultural differences in attachment may be due to environmental factors