Cultural variations

• Cultural variations - culture refers to the norms and values that exist within any group of people. Cultural variations then are the differences in the norms and values that exists between people in different groups - in attachment research we are concerned with the differences in the proportion if children of different attachment types.
• Its basically the way that different groups vary in terms of their social practices, and the effects these practices have on development and behaviour
• Child - rearing styles vary across different cultures. The question is how these might impact on the proportions of different attachment types in different countries.
• Meta analysis - examination of data from a number of independent studies of the same subject, in order to determine overall trends.
• METHOD

  The findings were put together from lots of different studies in lots of different countries. It was not conducted by Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg ( 1988 ) themselves. All of the other studies measured using the Strange Situations.

   

  • 32 countries
  • 8 studies 
  • Over 2000 strange situations 
• PROCEDURE

  They conducted a meta analysis of the findings from 32 studies of attachment behaviour. Altogether the studies examined over 2000 Strange situation classification in 8 different countries. They wanted to see whether inter culture differences existed. They were also interested if intra cultural differenced existed - difference in the findings conducted in the same culture.
• FINDINGS

  There was a wide variation. However, insecure resistant ( C ) was the least common across countries and secure resistant ( B ) was the most popular. 
• CONCLUTION

  Despite the fact that there are cultural differences in infant care arrangements, there strongest attachments are still formed with the infants mother.
• Insecure avoidant ( A ) was more likely when there was an emphasis on independence and self reliance. This was found in USA and Japan. Insecure resistant (C) was more likely where there was an emphasis on emotional dependence between parent and child. This was found in Italy and Greece. Secure (B) was more likely where there was an emphasis on close relationships with parents. This was found in Germany and Sweden.
• RESULTS 


  RESULTS

  
• EVALUATION

  • Because it was a meta-analysis, drawing together the findings of different research teams, this means if the various teams carried out the technique slightly differently their results could not reliably be compared, making the whole cross-cultural study meaningless.
  • Despite the large number of studies combined in this meta-analysis, over half (18 of the 32) were still in the US. Only five of the 32 were carried out in collectivist cultures.
• EVALUATION

  • However, in support of the strange situation, Bee (1999) believes that the most striking feature of the cross cultural studies is their similarity. With the exception of the three mentioned above, most countries do seem to have a similar pattern, with most infants forming secure attachments and the rest being split equally between avoidant and resistant.
• EVALUATION

  • There are ethical issues in the Strange Situation anyway, because it stresses the children. However, when used cross-culturally there are even more ethical issues because children in some cultures will be much more highly stressed than the Western children for whom the technique was originally developed, e.g. Japanese children who never normally leave their mothers, and Israeli children who never normally meet strangers.
• EVALUATION

  • As the studies were based on the Strange Situation technique, so long as the different researchers carried out the technique exactly as it was first designed they should all have controlled variables etc. in the same way, meaning that the different researchers' findings could be compared.
  • It was a truly cross-cultural study, because although many cultures weren't represented Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg did make sure to obtain a mix of collectivist and individualist cultures for comparison. This means the aim of the study was achieved.
• EVALUATION

  • Some of the samples were very small. For instance, only one study in the UK, Sweden and China. To base a judgement about attachment types of a whole nation of children on one study may result in biased conclusions, as the sample used might not be representative of the whole population.