Cultural variation

• Key study - Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg

  -Procedure: carried out a meta analysis of 32 studies of strange situation in different countries.

  -They wanted to see if there were any:

  • Intracultural differences which are differences BETWEEN cultures.
  • Intercultural differences which are differences WITHIN cultures.

  -Results - secure attachments were most common in western cultures, insecure avoidant is most common in non-western cultures.
• Intercultural differences

  -Japan had the highest insecure resistant children. Japan is a collectivist culture and highly value dependency and child always stays close with mother.

  -Germany had the highest insecure avoidant children. Germany is an individualistic culture, highly values independence so insecure

  avoidant attachment type is positive in Germany.
• Intracultural differences

  -One study in USA showed 46% secure attachment but different study showed 90% securely attached.