This document discusses cross-cultural variations in attachment types based on Ainsworth's Strange Situation research. It summarizes key findings from a meta-analysis comparing attachment types across Western and non-Western cultures. The analysis found slightly higher rates of secure attachment in Western cultures like the US and Britain compared to non-Western cultures like Japan and China. However, the greatest variation was found within individual cultures rather than between cultures. Cultural practices may influence differences in attachment types between societies.

1. Glossary
•Strange Situation
•Secure
•Insecure-Avoidant
•Insecure-Resistant
•Situation 6
•Main & Solomon
•Stranger anxiety
•Separation anxiety
•Reunion behaviour
•Willingness to explore
•Sensitivity hypothesis
•Temperament hypothesis

2. Cross-Cultural Variations in
attachment type

3. Objectives
• Recap findings and evaluation of Ainsworth’s research
(1970)
• Use Ainsworth’s research to describe the procedure for
cross-cultural differences in attachment
• To be able to explain cross-cultural differences in
attachment
• To be able to identify reasons for cross-cultural
differences in attachment
• To work collaboratively to establish evaluation of the
research into cross-cultural differences

4. Definition
The ways members of a society/culture
vary in terms of their social practices
As we already know – these variations can
effect infant behaviour/development
and attachment type

5. Some examples...
Japan – It’s rare to leave an infant alone
and their mothers rarely leave them in
the care of others.
What attachment type do you think is
most common in Japan?
Insecure-Resistant

6. Some examples...
Germany – Parents value independence.
Parenting focuses on making the child as
independent as possible
(behaviours exhibited by securely attached
children would be considered ‘clingy’)
What attachment type do you think is most
common in Germany?
Insecure-Avoidant

7. Some examples...
Israeli Kibbutz– Kibbutz life is very
‘family centred’ and so children are
raised at home by their parents
What attachment type do you think is
most common in Israeli Kibbutz?
Insecure-Resistant

8. Key research: Van Ijzendoorn &
Kroonenberg
Aim: To investigate cross-cultural
differences in attachment type through
meta-analysis of research, comparing
findings of the Strange Situation
research conducted in other cultures
Procedure: They used Ainsworth’s
Strange situation

9. Strange Situation
What 4 behaviours did the strange
situation observations focus on?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Separation anxiety
Stranger anxiety
Reunion behaviour
Willingness to explore

10. Procedure continued…
Compared the findings of 32 studies
across 8 different countries that used
the strange situation to measure
attachment type.
Specifically comparing Western and nonwestern cultures
Western
Non-western
Britain
Germany
America
Japan
China
Isreal

11. Find the findings…
Around the room are cards with national
flags on them, below the flags are the
results for that country.
Work out which is which and complete
your sheet (start with the flags you
recognise easily)
You have 4 minutes

12. Findings:
Country
Secure
InsecureAvoidant
InsecureResistant
Germany 57
35
8
Britain 75
22
3
Israel 64
7
29
Japan 68
5
27
China 50
25
25
USA 65
21
14
1.5 times greater variation within cultures than between

13. Conclusions
There are cross-cultural differences in
attachment types.
This could be due to cultural practices,
cultural expectations of parents
returning to work, cultural expectations
of child independence.
However, there are greater differences
within cultures than between cultures.

14. A02 - Evaluation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Strange Situation is easy to replicate
Imposed etic
Low ecological Validity
Not all children fit into one attachment
type
Only assesses the relationship with
mother
High demand characteristics
Easy to replicate
High control over EVs

15. Positive – A02
E.g. potential EVs can be
minimised such as the
amount of time in each
scenario and the
behaviour of the
stranger

16. Positive – A02
E.g. the situation can be
repeated in exactly the
same way, the play
room can be set up
again and the scenarios
replicated

17. Negative – A02
P – The research can be criticised for
an imposed etic
E – For example their research assumes
that the Strange Situation is suitable
to be used across different cultures
(made by an American, used on
American children)

18. Negative – A02
E.g. The research situation
could result in the mother
altering her behaviour to
look favourable to the
researchers (such as
interacting more with child)