cultural variations in attachment

• main study

  van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)
• van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg


  meta analysis of 32 studies. together over 2000 strange situation classifications in 8 countries. inter and intra cultural differences
• van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg findings

  small diffs only bewteen cultures/ countries

  • secure most common in every country
  • IA next most common in every country except Israel and Japan (collectivist)

  within cultures

  • 1.5 times greater than variation between cultures
• support for van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg


  Tronick et al

  • africal tribe living in extended family groups
  • looked after + breastfed by many women, slept with own mother
  • at 6M, still one primary attachment
• German


  Grossman and Grossman

  • higher levels of IA than in other cultures
  • interpersonal distance between parent and child
  • so, infants don't engage in proximity seeking
• Japan

  Takahashi

  • SS to study 60 japanese infants
  • secure similar to ainsworth
  • no IA, high rates of IR (32 %)
  • distressed at being left alone
• similarities may be due to global culture

  effects of mass media (eg. tv and books) - children exposed to similar influences

  • not biological influences, but connected global culture
• research is on countries rather than cultures

  eg. Japan compared to US

  • within are many subcultures w diff childrearing practices

  more variation was found within cultures than between cultures, as data collected on diff subcultures

  caution needed when using term cultural variations
• imposed etic

  Strange Situation (american design) assumes willingness to explore is sign of secure attachment

  • not in all cultures (eg. japan dependence rather than independence is securely attached by japanese standards)

  SS may lack validity in other cultures
• cultural bias

  Rothbaum et al argued it's not just methods of studying that aren't relevant to other cultures, but also the theory as it is so rooted in american culture

  • eg. continuity hypothesis don't mean same thing in US and Japan
  • Bowlby and Ainsworth proposed securely attached infants grow into socially and emotionally competent adults - competence defined in terms of individuation (ability to explore, be independent)
  • Japan is opposite - competence is inhibition of emotional expression, being group oriented

  so, high IR in japan due to cultural bias