Cultural Variations (Attachment)

Question 1

What are cultural variations

Answer 1

How behaviour may be a product of cultural norms and social practices

Question 2

Who did the cultural variations study

Answer 2

Van lizendoorn + Kroonenberg

Question 3

Explain the procedure of Van Lijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study

Answer 3

Conducted meta analysis
Looked at inter-cultural and intra-cultural differences
32 studies, 8 countries
1990 children

Question 4

What were the findings

Answer 4

-A wide variation between the attachment types in different studies
-All countries had secure attached as the most common classification
-75% Uk - 50% china

-Individualistic cultures - insecure resistant was under 14% - supports independence
-Collectivist cultures - insecure resistance was above 25%

Question 5

What was the conclusion

Answer 5

Patterns of attachment across cultures appear to be similar to original date

Secure attachment is the most common attachment type

Question 6

What are the Strengths

Answer 6

Reliability:
- All used standardised strange situation prodedure –> increased reliability
- Reflects cultural differences and not differences in research methods - credits cross cultural research

Ethically sound:
- Meta analysis - already taken place

Indigenous researchers:
- Researchers from same cultural background as pps
E.g. Van Lijzendoorn included Grossman et al (German) and Takashi (Japanese) in their research
–> Potential problems like misunderstandings of pp’s language, miscommunication of instructions and bias by nation’s stereotypes can be avoided
Therefore, validity can be enhanced.
COUNTERPOINT:
Not true for all cross-cultural attachment research:
E.g. Morelli and Tronick were from America studying child-rearing and attachment patterns in the Efe of Zaire.
–> Data affected by difficulties of gathering data from pps outside their own culture

Question 7

What are the limitations

Answer 7

Culture bias in cross-cultural research:
–> Imposed etic [assuming a technique that works in one context will work in another]
E.g. Reunion behaviour in the Strange Situation procedure:
- Britain & US: Lack affection = insecure-avoidant
- Germany: Lack affection = positive independence

Confounding variables:
- Studies in different countries
–> Not matched for methodology when compared
–> Sample characteristics like poverty, social class and age of pps could be different.
–> Environmental variables may differ: size of room and interesting toys could influence if babies explore, less visible proximity seeking due to room size = avoidant
May not actually tell us anything about cross-cultural patterns of attachment.

Question 8

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