The final stage, multiple attachments, is 11 months onward and is where other close attachments are formed (e.g. With grandmother) after the first main strong one.
b) Describe findings and conclusions of one research study that investigated cross cultural variations in attachments
Sagi et al carried out a study that investigated cross-cultural variations in attachments. They found that 71% American infants showed secure attachments, 12% showed anxious and resistant attachment and 17% were found to be anxious and avoidant.
They compared American infants with infants from other cultures. Of Israeli infants, they found 62% of them shoed secure attachment, 33% anxious and resistant and 5% anxious and avoidant. Sagi et al also found that amongst Japanese infants, 68% formed secure attachments, 32% anxious and resistant and none of the infants were anxious and avoidant.
Finally they looked attachments of German infants of which 40% were securely attached, 49% were anxious and resistant and 11% anxious and avoidant.
Looking at the findings of all these infants, it is clear that there is a difference in attachments due to different styles of upbringing. Israeli infants were looked after by different adults not part of the family but still had a close attachment to their mothers. This explains the low percentage of infants found to be anxious and avoidant.
Japanese infants are constantly with their mothers and hardly ever with strangers, however both Israeli and Japanese infants showed similar styles of attachment.
The German infants showed different pattern of attachments to the other three groups. Findings obtained for German infants suggested that the German culture involves keeping some interpersonal distance between parents and their children.
c) Give two criticisms of this study
One criticism of this study is the lack of validity by making cross-cultural comparisons. One of the main findings was that there was variation between cultures and this suggests that one culture consisting of the same practices as others is false.
A second criticism is the measurement used in order to assess attachment. The strange situation measurement of attachment assumes that behaviour of children in all cultures is the same, however the rare time when Japanese children were separated from their mothers was an unusual experience and didn’t have similar meaning to American children. Also that the reason children become anxious isn’t entirely due to secure or insecure attachment.
From this we can conclude that the Strange Situation is based more on cultural assumptions rather than actual attachment within cultures.
