Cultural variations in attachment

• cultural variations means the way that different groups of people vary in terms of their social practices and the effect these practices have on development and behaviour
• imposed etic is when the use of a technique designed in one culture is imposed on another
• Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenbergs (1988) Meta analysis procedure: a meta analysis involves selecting studies using an eligibility criteria then using statistical analysis to compile the results from the studies identified to summarise key trends in the data. Van Ijzendoorn and Kronnenberg used this method to investigate inter cultural variations and intra cultural variations. their meta analysis consisted of 32 studies: over 2000 strange situation classifications in eight different countries
• inter cultural variations are differences in attachments between cultures. intra cultural variations are attachment differences within a culture
• Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) Meta analysis findings: although there was some variation in culture as a result of childbearing practices, secure attachments were the dominant form In all eight countries. Individualist cultures such as Great Britain, West Germany and USA showed more insecure avoidant that insecure resistart. Collectivist cultures such as Japan and Israel showed more insecure resistant than insecure avoidant classification. variation within cultures was 1.5 times greater than the variation between cultures
• individualist cultures are cultures that value independence and the importance of the individual.
• collectivist cultures are cultures that value belonging to a group
• Other key studies: Grossman and Grossman (1991) found German infants tended to be classified as insecurely rather than securely attached. German culture involves parents and children keeping some interpersonal distance and so infants do not engage in proximity seeking behaviours in the Strange Situation. This increases the likelihood of being labelled insecure avoidant
• Takahashi (1990) observed 60 middle class Japanese mother infant pairs. similar rates of secure attachment to those found by Ainsworth were recorded, but no insecure avoidant classifications were made and 32% of infants were judged insecure resistant. the infants showed such extreme distress when left alone that for 90% of the infants the study was stopped. Unlike American children, Japanese infants are rarely separated from their mother explaining this extreme distress seen making them appear insecure resistant
• One issue with cultural variations in attachment is that similarities may not be innately determined. Van Ijzendoorn and Kronnenberg suggest that some cultural similarities might be explained by the media and not an innate disposition. The media presents ideas about parenting so it is possible that children all over the world are exposed to similar parenting as a result of the media not an innate attachment type. This suggests that the similarities found in Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenbergs research may be the result of a global media culture rather than innate biological influences
• in cultural variations in attachment that the findings are based on countries, not cultures. Van lizendoorn and Sagi (2001) examined attachment in Tokyo and found a similar distribution of attachment types to the Western studies, whereas a more rural sample found an increase in insecure-resistant individuals. these results highlight the variations within one country and provide support to Van lizendoorn and Kroonenbergs original claim that there is more variation within that between cultures. this suggest that the term cultural variations should be used with caution 
• One strength of cross-cultural research is the development of universal principles of attachment. Posada and Jacobs (2011) note that there is a lot of evidence that supports the idea of underlying principles of attachment. For example, China, Colombia and Germany all support the idea that maternal sensitivity leads to secure attachment.Therefore, even though the expression of maternal sensitivity and behaviours found in securely attached children may vary across cultures, the core concepts are the same.