Attachment: Cultural variations in attachment
- Created by: I_Am_Trying_I_Promise
- Created on: 05-12-22 19:41
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- Cultural variations in attachment
- Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg's research (1988)
- Aimed to investigate cultural differences in the proportions of each attachment type both between and within cultures.
- Found 32 studies of attachment that used Strange Situations, with 1990 children used across these. These studies came from:
- Great Britian
- Secure - 75%, Avoidant - 22% and Resistant - 3%
- Japan
- Secure - 69%, Avoidant - 6% and Resistant - 24%
- Netherlands
- Secure - 67%, Avoidant - 25% and Resistant - 7%
- USA
- However, these made up 15 of the studies - not an equal spread.
- Secure - 65%, Avoidant - 20% and Resistant - 15%
- Israel
- Secure - 65%, Avoidant - 6% and Resistant - 29%
- Germany
- Secure - 57%, Avoidant - 34% and Resistant - 9%
- China
- Secure - 50%, Avoidant - 24% and Resistant - 26%
- Great Britian
- Carried out a meta-analysis of the data from the 32 studies (i.e. combined and analysed all the findings, weighting each study for its sample size).
- Findings
- In all countries secure attachment was most common but it varied (China - 50% and Great Britian - 75%)
- In individualistic countries (Britian, Sweden, Netherlands, USA and Germany) rates of insecure-resistant were under 15% - similar to Ainsworth's findings
- In collectivist countries (Japan, Isreal and China) rates of insecure-resistant were high at 25% or above
- Conclusion
- Secure attachment is the norm in a wide range of cultures, which supports Bowlby's idea that attachment is innate and universal and that secure attachment is the norm.
- However, this research also shows that cultural practices have an influence on attachment type.
- Evaluation
- A large number of these studies are conducted by indigenous psychologists
- Researchers are trying to use a study methodology developed in one cultural context and applied to another cultural context.
- Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg's research (1988)
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