Cultural Variations In Attachment

Question 1

Meta-analysis

Answer 1

• 32 studies that used the strange situation in 8 countries were analysed.
  Findings: secure attachment was most common in all countries, insecure resistant was least common, avoidant attachment common in Germany, more variation (1.5x) within cultures than between them.

Question 2

Germany:

Answer 2

• german infants classified as insecurely attached as german culture involves keeping some interpersonal distance, no proximity seeking behaviour.

Question 3

Takshashi - Japan:

Answer 3

• Japanese infants had no evidence of insecure avoidant and high levels of insecure resistant (severe distress in separation anxiety). Study had to be stopped for 90% of infants. DUE TO infants being rarely without their primary caregiver in early ages.

Question 4

African tribe

Answer 4

• studied a tribe where infants were looked after and breastfed by multiple women but slept with their mother and still showed a primary attachment.

Question 5

Ao3 positives:

Answer 5

• highly controlled research so has high reliability.
• indigenous researchers meant no confusion over questions/ misunderstandings which lead to increased validity.

Question 6

Ao3 negatives:

Answer 6

-The validity of research using the strange situation can be questioned; it may not have been measuring attachment type, rather innate anxiety (personality).
- The meta-analysis can be criticised because of the limited number of studies in some countries. Also the problems of over-generalising from a limited sample