cultural variations in attachments

cultural variations in attachments

1. culture- groups of people that share the same values and attitudes

   • 2 types of culture
     • individualistic - a culture that emphasises persopnal achievement and independance at the expense of group goals, resulting in compatition
       • E.G USA
     • collectivist- one that emphasises family and work goals above peoples individual needs and desires. high levels of interdependance
       • E.G. China

2. Japan Takahashi

   • 60 year old middle class infants and their mums
   • secure- 66% insecure- resistant-32% insecure avoident-0%
     • for 90% of participents the infant alone stage had to be stopped because the infants were distresssed
   • children rarley leave their parents. they sleep with them until the age of 2, bath with their parents and travel on their mothers backs.

3. Germany- Grossman

   • 49 mothers with 12 month old children
   • secure- 33% insecure resistant-12% insecure avoident- 49%
   • german culture promotes "distance" between parents and their children. so children are alone for the most part and more independant

4. Van ijzendroon and kroonenberg (1988)

   • method: meta-analysis of 32studies of attachment where the strange situation had been used to investigate attachment types
   • • lowest avoidant- japan lowest resistant- britain lowest secure- China
     • highest avoident- Germany highest resistant- isreal highest secure- Britain
     • secure ALWAYS highest
     • biast towards USA more studies
     • individualistic cultures have highest avoident
   • evaluate
     • SS may not be suitable for all countries. Okonogi found that desirable qualities in the west (sociability) were fround upon by eastern countries such as japan, who are taught to fear strangers. SS views this as resistant
     • SS is the only method of testing attachment types across several different countries, this helps us to understand some of the main sub-cultural differences found within any given country
     • reliability is questionable and validity, as sample sizes are unevan, thus not neccisairly representative. E.G 18 studies done in america VS 1 in the UK and 18/27 contries are indivdualistic

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