Cultural variations in Attachment

Question 1

Who?

Answer 1

Ven Ijzendoorn and Kroonenburg

Question 2

What?

Answer 2

Meta-anaylsis of proportions of attachment types across a range of countries

Question 3

What studies were used?

Answer 3

32 strange situation in 8 different countries (15 in USA)
- 1990 children in total

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

• Type B most common but ranged from 50% in China to 75% in Britain
• Individualist cultures Type C similair to Ainsworth
• Collectivist cultured Type C >25% (Type A reduced)
• Variaitons within a country 150% greater than between countries (USA Type B ranged from 46% to 90%)

Question 5

Conclusions

Answer 5

• Cultural differences in the distibution of insecure attachments
• Secure attachment most common
• Variations 150% greater within countries than between

Question 6

Simonelli et al

Answer 6

• 76 babies in Italy using strange situation
• 36% A, 50% B, 14% C
• Low B may be due to increase in mothers working long hours and using more childcare
• culture changes can affect attachment patterns

Question 7

Fox

Answer 7

Kibbutz (raised communally)
- SST showed equal attachments to all women except in reunion behaviour
- monotropy still present

Question 8

AO3 +

Answer 8

use researchers native to country of research = prevents misunderstanding of instructions increasing validity

Question 9

AO3 -

Answer 9

• confounding variables of individual differences in the children of the different studies = age, status etc. + environmental variables of room used (larger size could mean babies want to explore more)
• imposed etic = SS designed in america (lack of affection at reunion is insecure) but applied to other cultured (Germany seen as sign of independence)