Attachment – Cultural Variations

Attachment – Cultural Variations

Courses Info

CULTURAL VARIATIONS – Van Ijzendoom

The idea that there are differences in child-rearing practices and attachment types between different cultural groupings

 

Study Summary

Aim: – to assess whether within separate sample types, there was a pattern in the distribution of different attachment types
– to assess the extent of inter (between) and intra (within) cultural differences in attachment types in the separate samples
– to assess the similarities and differences in the amount of Type A, B, and C attachment types in the separate samples

 

Method: – a meta analysis o f 32 studies from 8 countries that used the ‘Strange Situation’ procedure to assess mother-child attachments
– classified attachments as either: Type A, B, or C
– 1,990 separate strange situation classifications were used
– all studies used 35 mother-infant pairs with infants below the age of 2

 

Results: – Type A = 21%, Type B = 67%, Type C = 12%
– a larger proportion of Type A attachment was found in German samples
– intra cultural differences were often greater than intercultural differences (e.g 94% of Type A attachment)
– Type A attachment was found more in western cultures
– Type C attachment was more common in countries like Israel, China and Japan

 

Conclusion: – there is a different in the pattern of cross-cultural attachment types across countries
– intra cultural differences in attachment types are often greater than intercultural ones
– overall, patterns of attachment types were similar to what Ainsworth had found in his study

 

Evaluation:

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
generalisable to the 8 countries used on the study not generalisable – cannot be generalised to other countries (ethnocentric). Father attachment also not looked at.
reliable – meta analysis consisting of 32 studies. Lab setting – allows for causality and the study was replicated in different cultures cultural differences shown, however not applicable to all attachments
high validity –measures what it is supposed to temporal validity – child rearing may differ over time, individual differences
  lacks ecological validity – used the ‘Strange Situation’ procedure, which lacks mundane realism
  -unethical – babies were left distressed

 

Exam Questions

Q1) Outline and evaluate research into cultural variations in attachment (16 marks)

Q2) Describe what research has shown about cultural variations in attachment (4 marks)

Q3) Explain the difference between ‘intra cultural differences’ and ‘inter cultural differences’ (2 marks)