Ainsworth Study on Attachment

• Other family members may well develop attachments with the baby that have the same qualities, such as comfort and a secure base from which to explore
• Secure attachment was the most common in all cultures
• Insecure-avoidant was most commonly found in Germany than other cultures
• Insecure resistant was most commonly found in Israel and Japan than other cultures
• Variations between results of studies within the same country were 1.5 times greater than those between countries
• In the USA one study found only 46% secured attachment compared to one sample as high as 90%
• This shows that it cannot be assumed that all children are brought up in exactly the same way in a particular country
• Germany's findings of 35% Avoidant may well reflect a culture of promoting independence in the infants
• Cultural Variations in Attachment Types

  • Britain: 75% Secure, 22% Insecure-Avoidant, 3% Insecure-Resistant
  • Germany: 57% Secure, 35% Insecure-Avoidant, 8% Insecure-Resistant
  • China: 50% Secure, 25% Insecure-Avoidant, 25% Insecure-Resistant
  • Israel: 64% Secure, 6% Insecure-Avoidant, 30% Insecure-Resistant
  • Japan: 68% Secure, 5% Insecure-Avoidant, 27% Insecure-Resistant
• Cultural variations in attachment including van Ijzendoorn
• Cultural variations


  Differences in the norms and values that exist between people in different groups
• Meta Analysis is a research method linked to cultural variations in attachment
• Meta Analysis


  • Combining studies from different countries means you end up with a large sample
  • Researchers across the globe ensured they used the same methods and standardised procedures to investigate attachment
• Universality of Secure Attachments


  • Having much supporting research from various cultures can help determine if there is any universal behaviours amongst attachment
  • One of the findings of the meta analysis was that secure attachment was the most common form of attachment across the various cultures
  • Using such a large sample size allows us to establish universal laws of behaviour and generalise the findings globally
• Culturally Biased Methodology


  • The Strange Situation was designed by an American researcher (Ainsworth) based on a British theory (Bowlby) and these ideas may not apply to other cultures
  • Ainsworth may be imposing her Strange Situation methodology and ideas of attachment that work in one culture, to another different culture (where they do not work)
  • For example in Britain and the USA, lack of affection on reunion may indicate an avoidant attachment. However, in Germany such behaviour is likely to be interpreted as independence rather than insecurity
• Confounding Variables


  • Studies conducted in different countries may not be completely matched for characteristics of the sample or aspects of the methodology
  • For example, studies in different countries may use children of different ages and social classes. Environmental variables may also differ e.g. using smaller rooms which might encourage babies to explore more or using different toys in the study
• In van Ijzendoorn's cross-cultural investigations of attachment, Germany was found to have the highest percentage of anxious-avoidant children
• In van Ijzendoorn's cross-cultural investigations of attachment, Israel and Japan were found to have the highest percentage of anxious-resistant children
• In van Ijzendoorn's cross-cultural investigations of attachment, the variation within cultures was greater than the variation between cultures
• In van Ijzendoorn's cross-cultural investigations of attachment, secure attachment was found to be the most common attachment type in all the countries investigated