Lesson 4 - Cross Cultural Variations

Question 1

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)

Answer 1

Conducted meta analysis of 32 studies to see if attachment occurs same way across all cultures
Used strange situation to measure
Looked at relationship between mother and babies (under 24 months)
Conducted in 8 countries: individualistic and collectivist cultures

Question 2

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)

Main Findings

Answer 2

Secure attachment was the most common attachment style in all of the eight countries studied
The second most common attachment style was insecure-avoidant, expect in Israel and Japan where avoidant was rare but resistant was common
Lowest percentage of secure was in China
Highest percentages of secure was GB
Highest percentage of insecure avoidant was West Germany
Overall variations within cultures were 1.5 times greater than the variation between cultures

Question 3

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)

Main Findings Analysis

Answer 3

Similarities between cultures suggest that caregiver and infant interactions have universal characteristics so may be partly instinctive
However, variations between cultures show that the cultural differences in child rearing practises also play an important role in attachment styles
Variations between cultures indicate sub-cultural differences play an important role as well
These factors are possibly more important than culture

Question 4

Cultural Variation in Attachment Evaluation Points

Answer 4

Meta analysis
Culturally biased
Israel study
Sub culture differences
Main and Weston (1981)

Question 5

Cultural Variation in Attachment Evaluation
Meta Analysis
Positive

Answer 5

This study is a meta analysis which means it includes a very large sample
Increases validity of findings

Question 6

Cultural Variation in Attachment Evaluation
Culturally Biased
Negative

Answer 6

The strange situation methodology was developed in the US and may not be valid in other countries
Ainsworth assumed that a willingness to explore means a child is securely attached but this may not be the case in other cultures
Means methodology is culturally biased

Question 7

Cultural Variation in Attachment Evaluation
Israel Study
Negative

Answer 7

Infants from Israel study lived on a Kibbutz (closed community) which came into no contact with strangers
Could be the reason as to why the children showed severe distress when confronted with strangers and so were classed as resistant

Question 8

Cultural Variation in Attachment Evaluation
Sub Culture Differences
Negative

Answer 8

Study was not actually comparing cultures but countries
The countries have many different sub-cultures with different child rearing practises
One style of attachment in Tokyo found similar attachment style distributions to the USA whereas more rural areas of Japan found more insecure-resistant infants

Question 9

Cultural Variation in Attachment Evaluation
Main and Weston (1981)
Negative

Answer 9

All studies used in meta-analysis looked at infants’ attachment to their mothers
Children might have a different style of attachment to their mothers than their fathers
The strange situation is therefore not measuring a child’s attachment style but their attachment to one individual
Main and Weston (1981) found children behave different depending on which parent they are with