cultural variations in attachment

Question 1

what is individualistic culture?

Answer 1

one which emphasises personal independence and achievement at the expense of group goals

Question 2

collectivist culture

Answer 2

one which emphasises family and work goals above individual needs and desires

Question 3

What are cultural variations in attachment?

Answer 3

differences in attachment types across cultures due to child-rearing practices, values and societal norms

Question 4

What was the aim of Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study?

Answer 4

to investigate cultural variations in attachment by conducting a meta analysis on 32 studies using Strange Situation

Question 5

What were the key findings of Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study?

Answer 5

Secure attachment was the most common type in all cultures.

Western cultures (Germany) had more insecure-avoidant infants.

Collectivist cultures (Japan, Israel) had more insecure-resistant infants.

Question 6

strength- why is Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study high in reliability?

Answer 6

used a meta-analysis of 32 studies that all followed the standardised Strange Situation procedure= findings highly reliable as they can be replicated.

Question 7

weakness- Why does the study lack population/cultural validity?

Answer 7

over-represents Western cultures- 18 studies from the USA and only 1 from China. Cultural imbalance= may not accurately reflect attachment patterns in non-Western or collectivist cultures. The conclusions drawn may lack cultural validity and cannot be applied to global populations, limiting the overall generalisability.

Question 8

weakness- chance of bias

Answer 8

potential for researcher bias, as researchers may selectively include studies that support their hypotheses or desired conclusions. This can distort the overall findings, reduce the objectivity of the analysis, and undermine the reliability and validity of the results.

Question 9

strength- what was the supporting evidence?

Answer 9

study found secure attachment was the most common type in all cultures= supports Bowlby- attachment is universal and biologically innate. This increases theoretical validity - reinforcing attachment as an evolutionary mechanism.