Cultural Variations in Attachment
Key study = the meta-analysis done by Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg in 1998
Step 1) Ainsworth and Bell conducted original Strange Situation, 1970
Step 2) 32 replications of the Strange Situation done in 8 countries, including Germany
(Grossmann) and Japan (Miyake)
Step 3) Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg combine these 32 studies into 1 table in their meta-
analysis
Child-rearing styles vary across different cultures. The question is how these might impact
on the proportions of different attachment types in different countries. It might be that
attachment types are the same across the world or they might be different. We look at the
classic meta-analysis of cultural differences by Van Ijzendoorn.
Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s research
Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1998) conducted a study to look at the proportions of
secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant attachments across a range of
countries to assess cultural variation. They also looked at the differences within the
same countries to get an idea of variations within a culture, as well as looking at
variation across/between different cultures, they also looked at variation inside/within
individual cultures by comparing the results of different studies in the same country e.g.
USA – 18 studies.
Procedure
The researchers located 32 studies of attachment where the Strange Situation had been
used to investigate the proportions of babies with different attachment types. These were
conducted in 8 countries – 18 were in the USA. Overall, the studies yielded results for
1990 children. The data for these 32 studies was meta-analysed. This means that the
results of the studies were combined and analysed together, weighing each study for its
sample size.
Findings
- Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg found that type B (secure attachment) was
always the most common type (between 50-70%) across all 32 studies in the
meta-analysis
- The lowest % of secure attachments was shown in China (50%) and the highest in
Great Britan (75%)
- Insecure-avoidant attachment was more common in West Germany (35%) but
rare in Israel (7%) and Japan (5%)
, - Insecure-resistant attachment was more common in Israel (29%) and Japan
(27%), but rare in Great Britain (3%).
- Variation of attachment types within cultures was 1.5 times greater than the
variation between cultures. In the USA, for example, one study found only 46%
securely attached compared to one sample as high as 90%.
Lowest (%) Highest (%)
Secure attachment China 50% Great Britain 75%
Insecure-avoidant Japan 5% Germany 35%
attachment Israel 7%
Insecure-resistant Great Britain 3% Israel 29%
attachment
Conclusion
Secure attachments seem to be the norm in a wide range of cultures, supporting
Bowlby’s idea that attachment is innate and universal, and this type is the universal
norm. However, research also clearly shows that cultural practices have an influence on
attachment type.
Type B is always the most common, but there are considerable differences between A + C.
Cultural variation in child rearing practices/parenting styles
It could be that the variation in the percentage of children who are classified as insecure
avoidant (A) and insecure resistant (C) could reflect ? Different child rearing practices?
For example, Grossmann argues that German parents value independence in their
children and deliberately don’t respond to their children’s needs as quickly as parents in
other cultures – this makes it appear that German children have type A attachments, even
though they are actually securely attached.
Equally, in Japan, Japanese infants are almost never separated from their mothers in the
first year of life. Therefore, the separations in the strange situation will produce a high level
of distress/separation anxiety and protest and could lead to Japanese infants being
incorrectly classified as type C.
A03
Point Evidence Conclusion
Evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn
+ Kroonenberg:
Key study = the meta-analysis done by Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg in 1998
Step 1) Ainsworth and Bell conducted original Strange Situation, 1970
Step 2) 32 replications of the Strange Situation done in 8 countries, including Germany
(Grossmann) and Japan (Miyake)
Step 3) Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg combine these 32 studies into 1 table in their meta-
analysis
Child-rearing styles vary across different cultures. The question is how these might impact
on the proportions of different attachment types in different countries. It might be that
attachment types are the same across the world or they might be different. We look at the
classic meta-analysis of cultural differences by Van Ijzendoorn.
Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s research
Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1998) conducted a study to look at the proportions of
secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant attachments across a range of
countries to assess cultural variation. They also looked at the differences within the
same countries to get an idea of variations within a culture, as well as looking at
variation across/between different cultures, they also looked at variation inside/within
individual cultures by comparing the results of different studies in the same country e.g.
USA – 18 studies.
Procedure
The researchers located 32 studies of attachment where the Strange Situation had been
used to investigate the proportions of babies with different attachment types. These were
conducted in 8 countries – 18 were in the USA. Overall, the studies yielded results for
1990 children. The data for these 32 studies was meta-analysed. This means that the
results of the studies were combined and analysed together, weighing each study for its
sample size.
Findings
- Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg found that type B (secure attachment) was
always the most common type (between 50-70%) across all 32 studies in the
meta-analysis
- The lowest % of secure attachments was shown in China (50%) and the highest in
Great Britan (75%)
- Insecure-avoidant attachment was more common in West Germany (35%) but
rare in Israel (7%) and Japan (5%)
, - Insecure-resistant attachment was more common in Israel (29%) and Japan
(27%), but rare in Great Britain (3%).
- Variation of attachment types within cultures was 1.5 times greater than the
variation between cultures. In the USA, for example, one study found only 46%
securely attached compared to one sample as high as 90%.
Lowest (%) Highest (%)
Secure attachment China 50% Great Britain 75%
Insecure-avoidant Japan 5% Germany 35%
attachment Israel 7%
Insecure-resistant Great Britain 3% Israel 29%
attachment
Conclusion
Secure attachments seem to be the norm in a wide range of cultures, supporting
Bowlby’s idea that attachment is innate and universal, and this type is the universal
norm. However, research also clearly shows that cultural practices have an influence on
attachment type.
Type B is always the most common, but there are considerable differences between A + C.
Cultural variation in child rearing practices/parenting styles
It could be that the variation in the percentage of children who are classified as insecure
avoidant (A) and insecure resistant (C) could reflect ? Different child rearing practices?
For example, Grossmann argues that German parents value independence in their
children and deliberately don’t respond to their children’s needs as quickly as parents in
other cultures – this makes it appear that German children have type A attachments, even
though they are actually securely attached.
Equally, in Japan, Japanese infants are almost never separated from their mothers in the
first year of life. Therefore, the separations in the strange situation will produce a high level
of distress/separation anxiety and protest and could lead to Japanese infants being
incorrectly classified as type C.
A03
Point Evidence Conclusion
Evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn
+ Kroonenberg:
