cultural variations in attachment

What did van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg's (1988) meta-analysis reveal about insecure attachment types?

• Insecure-resistant was the least common type overall

• while insecure-avoidant attachments were most commonly observed in Germany and least in Japan.

what did van ijzendoorm and kroonberg find

• in all countries secure attachment was the most common classification, insecure resistant was least common

• insecure avoidant were observed most commonly in Germany and least commonly in Japan

How does the interpretation of a baby's lack of affection on reunion differ between Germany and the UK/USA?

In Germany, it is interpreted as independence, whereas in the UK/USA, it is seen as avoidance.

conclusion of van ijzendoorns research

• secure being most dominant is evidence that there is a universal preference of secure

what was the strange situation that took place in italy

• simomelli et al used 76 12 month olds

• found 50% were secure

• 36% were insecure avoidant

• lower rate of secure attachment than found in many other studies

What did Jin et al. (2012) find regarding attachment types in Korea?

They found that secure attachment was the most common, with proportions of insecure and secure babies similar to those in most countries, but most insecurely attached were classified as resistant and only one child was avoidant.

EVALUATION: van ijzendoorn and ainsworth findings may lack temporal validity

• changing nature of modern world

• simonelli 2014 found a lot less secure and a lot more aviodant

• this is due to demand of modern life as infants can adjust to the absence of mother by not constantly showing extreme emotion when separated.

• this suggests findings are no longer relevant

EVALUATION: van ijzendoorn many countries weren’t representative

• many countries had only 1 study

• doesn’t accurately represent countries population

• this suggests conclusions are not generalisable to all population in some studies

EVALUATION: strange situation is an example of imposed etic=disagree

• strange situation works differently in Britain and USA compared with Germany

• eg germany a babies lack of affection on reunion is interpreted as independence, not avoidance (as it is in Uk/USA)

• so strange situation is an example of imposed etic as behaviours have different meanings in different cultures so cannot be compared

EVALUATION: most of cross cultural research is done by indigenous psychologists= support

• van ijendoorm and Kroonenberg included research by German and Japanese researchers. this avoids misunderstanding eg language.

• this means researcher and participants communicate successfully so validity of data is increased

EVALUATION: some studies were not by indigenous researchers= disagree

• morelli and tronick were Americans who studied child rearing and attachment in Zaire (outside their own culture)

• therefore some research findings could be affected by their bias because of problems in cross cultural communication, reducing validity

EVALUATION: cross cultural studies have confounding variable=disagree

• studies from different cultures used in meta analysis are not usually matched

• so variables like room size and contents may explain why some babies explore or seek proximity more than others

• this means non-matched studies from different countries may not tell us much about cross cultural patterns of attachment

what is cultural bias

• tendency to judge all people in terms of your cultural assumptions

• tendency to interpret phenomena through lens of your own culture

what is ethnocentrism

• particular form of cultural bias

• judging cultures by your standards and values

• a belief in the superiority of your own culture group

• can lead to prejudice and discrimination

what is alpha bias

• theories there are real differences between cultural groups eg individualist and collectivist cultures

beta bias

• theories that ignore or minimise cultural differences

• all people are the same s its ok to use the same theories and methods with all cultural groups

What is an example of an imposed etic in attachment research?

The Strange Situation, where behaviors have different meanings across cultures, making comparisons problematic.

what is cultural relativism

• norms and values, ethics and moral standards can only be understood within specific social and cultural contexts

• behaviour can’t be judged properly unless its judged in context of og culture

What is one strength of cross-cultural research in attachment studies?

Most research is conducted by indigenous psychologists, which helps avoid misunderstandings and increases the validity of the data.

What confounding variables affect cross-cultural studies in attachment research?

Studies from different cultures often use non-matched variables, such as room size and contents, which can influence exploration and proximity-seeking behaviors.

What is the significance of cultural variations in attachment research?

It highlights how attachment behaviours can be interpreted differently across cultures, impacting the understanding of attachment theory.