6. Cultural variations on attachment

• Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg - AO1

  - Conducted a meta-analysis of 32 different Strange Situation experiments from around the world and found secure attachment was always the most common, with variations between countries.

  - yield 1,990 children all together.
• Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg findings - AO1

  - secure = majority - 70%

  - lowest % of secure = china

  - highest % of secure = GB

  - western countries that supported independence (e.g. germany) had high levels of insecure avoidant

  - eastern countries that were more culturally close (e.g. japan) had high levels of insecure resistance - 25%

  - Variations within the same country were 150% greater than between countries

  - One study found 46% of children were securely attached in the US and another found 90%
• Simonella et al (2014) - AO1


  - Italy strange situation

  - 76 12 month olds

  - 50% secure, 36% avoidant

  - Lower rate of secure than expecting, suggesting that it may be because increasing number of mothers were putting their children in professional day care
• Jin et al (2012) - AO1


  - Strange situation in korean

  - Insecure and secure were similar, but there was only one avoidant- the rest were resistant

  - Similar to japan who had similar child rearing styles
• Indigenous researchers - AO3

  - Most studies conducted by psychologists native/ same cultural background are participants.

  - Many of the problems with cross-cultural research can be avoided e.g misunderstanding native language and avoid bias/ stereotypes.

  - Enhancing the validity
• Confounding variables - AO3

  - Massisve impact of confounding variables.

  - Didn't account for the differences in methodology when comparing results.

  - Sample characteristics such as poverty, social class and environment not taken into account.

  - Size of the room and amount of toys would have had an impact on the way children behaved.

  - Less visible proximity seeking because of room-size may have a child classed as avoidant.

  - May tell us nothing about cross-cultural patterns.
• Imposed etic - AO3


  - Trying to impose a study designed for one culture onto another.

  - In Britain the lack of affection on reunion may indicate avoidant behaviour but in countries like Germany this may be seen as independence rather than insecurity.

  - Behaviours measured by strange situation may not have the same meaning in different cultures.