Discuss research into cultural variations in attachment. (12 marks)

Discuss research into cultural variations in attachment. (12 marks)

Many different psychologists have carried out research into cultural variations in attachment. Van Ijzendoor and Kroonenberg conducted a meta- analysis using the findings of 32 different studies into attachment. They found that in German infants were mostly avoidant and in Japan and Israel infants were more resistant attached which shows a difference in attachment across cultures. However, they also found out that the United States had the most securely attached infants which are a similarity as Ainsworth found that a secure attachment was the most common.

Takahashi's research also found a difference in attachment across cultures. Middle class Japanese infants and mothers were studied. They showed high rates of insecure-resistant attachment, the opposite of what Ainsworth found. Grossman and Grossman also found that German infants were generally classified as insecurely attached which supports the idea that there are cultural variations in attachment because insecurely attached is usually the minority. Fox found a similarity in attachment across cultures by studying children in children’s home. It was found that infants had a greater attachment to their mothers, despite spending most of their time with nurses. This supports the idea of monotropy and that…