Cross-cultural Psychology: Attachment Styles and Cultural Differences

This essay delves into the field of cross-cultural psychology, focusing on research related to attachment styles and cultural differences. It begins by examining studies conducted by Grossman and Grossman (1991) and Takahashi (1990), which investigated attachment types in German and Japanese infants, respectively, using the "strange situation" methodology. The essay highlights the methodologies, findings, and conclusions of these studies, comparing the prevalence of secure and insecure attachment styles across cultures and discussing the role of maternal sensitivity and child-rearing practices. Furthermore, the essay addresses the cultural difficulties encountered by psychologists when conducting cross-cultural research, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural bases and psychological differences. It critiques the tendency of cross-cultural psychology to sometimes overlook the cultural factors that influence psychological effects, and stresses the need for psychologists to possess extensive knowledge to accurately interpret the interplay between culture and psychology, referencing key sources.

Running head: CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
Cross-cultural Psychology
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
Aim of the research
Grossman and Grossman (1991) had conducted a research in which he had an aim to see
a strange situation which was used to explore the types of attachment and at the same time
explore the relationship that existed between the attachment type and maternal sensitivity. While
another study conducted by Takahashi (1990) has conducted a research in which he compared
the types of attachment that exists in the 60 different middle-class infants that are aged 12
months within the American infants.
Methods, findings and conclusions of the research
The study conducted by Grossman and Grossman (1991), used the methodology in which
a total of 49 German families participated in a strange situation and with a measured attachment
type. The findings of the study suggested that the majority of the infants were securely attached
and the type found was anxious avoidant rather than being securely attached. It has been found
that the mothers were sensitive to the needs of the child and at the same time, the child was also
found to have a secure attachment. In conclusion, it can be said that that the different types of
attachment were compared with the Ainsworth findings and the reason is different with child-
rearing practices. The German children were taught to be independent and that is why they were
left by their parents and this is classified as an insecurely attachment. Takahashi (1990), on the
other hand, highlighted that in his study, no infants were insecure avoidant, 32 percent were
insecure-resistant and 68 percent were securely attached. The Japanese infants felt distressed
when they were left alone. The strange situation measured separation distress and it is seen that
Japanese mothers hardly left their children alone.

2CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
Cultural difficulties experienced by Psychologists when conducting cross-cultural research
Psychological differences exist between the groups that are described with very little
detail along with the factors that actually explain them. Majority of the cross-cultural psychology
emphasizes on the explaining psychology to different types of people without properly
explaining the cultural basis and the psychological differences. Thus it can be said that the
approach of cross-cultural psychology is entirely based on the culture rather than the culture that
exists in psychology. Moreover, a bit more explanation is required because the platform itself
requires an understanding of the culture and it is important to mention that culture is not brought
into contact with psychology (Shiraev and Levy 2016).
Many of the cultural variables are proposed clearly by the cross-cultural psychologists.
While it is important to mention that the cultural variables are devoid of the concrete content and
it includes a specific type of social system. It is important to mention that abstraction takes place
when a factor is misconducted with a fixed character and a singular character. However, in
contrast, a cultural factor that binds with the other types of factors poses a concrete quality,
contextualized and complex quality (Keith 2019.).
It is also seen that certain cross-cultural psychologists have identified that the
psychological effects emanate from the cultural factors instead of the abstract variables.
Therefore, it is necessary to highlight that extensive psychology along with sophisticated
knowledge is necessary to understand the effects of psychology as well as psychology. The
psychologist turns blind towards the crucial issues that lead to misconduct of the cultural effects
as well as the psychological effects (Grossmann and Na 2014).

3CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
Reference
Grossmann, I. and Na, J., 2014. Research in culture and psychology: Past lessons and future
challenges. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 5(1), pp.1-14.
Grossmann, K. and Grossmann, K.E., 1991. Newborn behaviour, early parenting quality and
later toddler-parent relationships in a group of German infants. J. Nugent, K. & BM Lester & TB
Brazleton (Eds.), The Cultural Context of Infancy, 2.
Keith, K.D. ed., 2019. Cross-cultural psychology: Contemporary themes and perspectives.
Wiley-Blackwell.
Shiraev, E.B. and Levy, D.A., 2016. Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and
contemporary applications. Routledge.
Takahashi, K., 1990. Are the key assumptions of the ‘Strange Situation’procedure universal? A
view from Japanese research. Human Development, 33(1), pp.23-30.