Integrating culture and attachment.

Comments on the article by F. Rothbaum et al (see record 2000-02781-001), which highlighted evidence of cultural variations in, and noted ways in which attachment theory is laden with Western values and meaning in comparisons of the US and Japan. According to the present author, culture must be defined before considering attachment in cultural contexts, and the Rothbaum et al article compared the Western middle class with the whole Japanese population, with all of its various social groups. Such a cavalier attitude on the part of Rothbaum et al shows a naive enthusiasm for cultural varieties and specifics that, without being balanced with generality, kills theorization. Lack of a proper definition in context combined with naive enthusiasm is reason, according to the present author, for theoretical disaster. Following discussion of the particular disasters of the Rothbaum et al article, the present author proposes a more proper direction for intercultural psychology to take. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment, culture, and amae.

Comments on the article by F. Rothbaum et al (see record 2000-02781-001), which highlighted evidence of cultural variations in, and noted ways in which attachment theory is laden with Western values and meaning in comparisons of the US and Japan. According to the present author, the evidence and conclusions of Rothbaum et al are flawed. The main critique of the universality of attachment theory offered by Rothbaum et al pertained to cultural differences in how Western and Japanese children use the secure base. In the West, secure attachment is commonly believed to promote exploration. However, the present author points out that Rothbaum et al argued that for Japanese children "the major link is with dependence, and adaptation primarily refers to accommodation, avoidance of loss, fitting in with others, and ultimately loyalty and interdependence". According to the present author, this argument is unsupported by empirical studies, and while being advanced as a challenge to the universalistic core of attachment theory, Rothbaum et al subsequently argued that in Japan, secure attachment leads not to exploration but to amae (dependence). Much empirical work needs to be conducted before Rothbaum et al's proposed link between secure attachment and dependency can be evaluated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Insufficient evidence.

Comments on the article by F. Rothbaum et al (see record 2000-02781-001), which highlighted evidence of cultural variations in, and noted ways in which attachment theory is laden with Western values and meaning in comparisons of the US and Japan. According to the present author, the Rothbaum et al study is particularly important to Japanese investigators, as the validity of attachment theory has sometimes been taken for granted too easily in Japan. Unfortunately, however, Rothbaum et al overlooked important empirical results that clarify the validity of attachment theory in Japanese samples. The present author contends that Rothbaum et al misunderstood or distorted the meanings of measures that are usually applied in attachment studies, and thus the arguments offered by Rothbaum et al resulted in a superficial critique of the cross-cultural validity of attachment theory. As a result of their failure to present empirical evidence to refute cross-cultural validity in attachment theory, Rothbaum et al did not provide any important challenge to researchers in Japan. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural blindness or selective inattention?

Comments on the article by F. Rothbaum et al (see record 2000-02781-001), which highlighted evidence of cultural variations in, and noted ways in which attachment theory is laden with Western values and meaning in comparisons of the US and Japan. According to the present authors, any claim to cross-cultural validity of a theory can only be considered a bold but tentative hypothesis. It is shown here that Rothbaum et al cited existing empirical studies on attachment in Japan only selectively, and, in so doing, Rothbaum et al neglected important evidence in favor of the validity of attachment theory in the Japanese context. The Japanese case is not yet a falsification of the nomological network that constitutes attachment theory's claim to cross-cultural validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child–mother attachment relationships and culture.

Comments on the article by F. Rothbaum et al (see record 2000-02781-001), which highlighted evidence of cultural variations in, and noted ways in which attachment theory is laden with Western values and meaning in comparisons of the US and Japan. Proposing the development of distinct theories for each human culture and subculture, Rothbaum et al challenged the notion that attachment theory can inform psychologists' understanding of close relationships across cultures. According to the present authors, Rothbaum et al overlooked clear evidence about secure base relationships in diverse cultures, including Japan, and they also misunderstood the role of that secure base as a context for socialization. Information to date supports the universality of the secure base phenomenon. Attachment theory can be a valuable framework for examining general questions about interactions between biology and culture during development, and cross-cultural research affords useful opportunities to study these interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mother's insightfulness regarding their infants' internal experience: Relations with maternal sensitivity and infant attachment.

This study examined the associations among mothers' insightfulness into their infants' internal experience, mothers' sensitivity to their infants' signals, and infants' security of attachment to their mothers. The insightfulness of 129 mothers of 12-month-old infants was assessed by showing mothers 3 videotaped segments of observations of their infants and themselves and interviewing them regarding their infants' and their own thoughts and feelings. Interviews were classified into 1 insightful and 3 noninsightful categories. Mothers' sensitivity was assessed during play sessions at home and at the laboratory, and infant-mother attachment was assessed with the Strange Situation. Mothers classified as positively insightful were rated as more sensitive and were more likely to have securely attached children than were mothers not classified as positively insightful. Insightfulness also accounted for variance in attachment beyond the variance explained by maternal sensitivity. These findings add an important dimension to research on caregiving, suggesting that mothers' seeking of explanations for the motives underlying their infants' behavior is related to both maternal sensitivity and infant attachment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Roger, me, and my attitude: Film propaganda and cynicism toward corporate leadership.

Two studies of US and Japanese respondents assessed attitudes resulting from viewing the film Roger & Me (M. Moore, 1989). In Exp 1, the responses of 162 adults who had seen the film in the US were contrasted with 106 people about to view the film. Those who saw the film exhibited more cynical (negative) attitudes toward General Motors in particular and toward US business in general. Exp 2 employed a Solomon 4-group design in Tokyo, Japan, to assess the generalizability of the US results and also to assess attitude change from pretest to posttest. Consistent with the US results, viewing the film had negative effects on Japanese attitudes toward General Motors and toward US business in general. Furthermore, attitudes toward Japanese business became slightly more positive as a function of viewing the film. Implications and future research needs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Countertransference, attachment, and the working alliance: The therapist's contribution.

This study examined the relationship among therapist attachment styles, countertransference behaviors, and working alliance. Fifty therapists in training and their supervisors participated in the study. Therapists completed a self-rated measure of attachment style and a measure of working alliance with 1 of their clients. Supervisors completed measures of working alliance and countertransference behaviors about their supervisee's relationship with the same client. Results indicate that therapist attachment style did not correlate with either countertransference behaviors or working alliance. However, negative countertransference was associated with poorer working alliances, and positive countertransference was related to a weak bond within the working alliance. Additional analyses indicate that disagreement among supervisors and therapists about the bond component was predictive of countertransference behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Infant-mother attachment classification: Risk and protection in relation to changing maternal caregiving quality.

The relations between early infant-mother attachment and children's social competence and behavior problems during the preschool and early school-age period were examined in more than 1,000 children under conditions of decreasing, stable, and increasing maternal parenting quality. Infants' Strange Situation attachment classifications predicted mothers' reports of children's social competence and teachers' reports of externalizing and internalizing behaviors from preschool age through 1st grade. These relations appeared to be mediated by parenting quality; main effects of attachment classification disappeared when effects of parenting quality were controlled. Interactions were also observed. For example, when parenting quality improved over time, teachers rated children with insecure infant-mother attachments lower on externalizing behaviors; when parenting quality decreased, teachers rated insecure children higher on externalizing behaviors. In contrast, children classified as securely attached in infancy did not appear to be affected by declining or improving parenting quality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult attachment and the transition to parenthood.

This study examined how a major life stressor—the transition to parenthood—affects marital satisfaction and functioning among persons with different attachment orientations. As hypothesized, the interaction between women's degree of attachment ambivalence and their perceptions of spousal support (assessed 6 weeks prior to childbirth) predicted systematic changes in men's and women's marital satisfaction and related factors over time (6 months postpartum). Specifically, if highly ambivalent (preoccupied) women entered parenthood perceiving lower levels of support from their husbands, they experienced declines in marital satisfaction. Women's ambivalence also predicted their own as well as their husbands' marital satisfaction and functioning concurrently. The degree of attachment avoidance did not significantly predict marital changes, although women's avoidance did correlate with some of the concurrent marital measures. These findings are discussed in terms of attachment theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing secure base behavior in adulthood: Development of a measure, links to adult attachment representations and relations to couples' communication and reports of relationships.

A focus on the secure base phenomenon creates a framework for exploring the function of the attachment system in adulthood. Engaged couples (N=157) were videotaped in a problem-solving interaction and assessed using the Secure Base Scoring System (SBSS), a system based on Ainsworth's analyses of infant-parent secure base use and support. Study 1 showed behavior was significantly related to representations assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (M. Main and R. Goldwyn, 1994). In Study 2, the interactions were independently scored with the Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System (RMICS; R. E. Heyman and D. Vivian, 1993), a communication-based system. The SBSS predicted relationship variables beyond the RMICS, especially for women. Results indicate that the secure base phenomenon provides a cogent perspective on adult attachment behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment theory and intergroup bias: Evidence that priming the secure base schema attenuates negative reactions to out-groups.

Five studies examined the effects of priming the secure base schema on intergroup bias. In addition, Studies 1–2 examined the effects of dispositional attachment style, Studies 2–5 examined a mood interpretation, Study 3 examined the mediating role of threat appraisal, and Studies 4–5 examined the effects of secure base priming while inducing a threat to self-esteem or cultural worldview. Secure base priming led to less negative evaluative reactions toward out-groups than positive affect and neutral control conditions. In addition, whereas the effects of secure base priming did not depend on attachment style and were not explained by mood induction, they were mediated by threat appraisal and occurred even when self-esteem or cultural worldview was threatened. The discussion emphasizes the relevance of attachment theory for understanding intergroup attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development.

Reviews the book, A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development by John Bowlby (see record 1988-98501-000). This volume consists of nine lectures given over the last decade by the author, an eminent child researcher and psychoanalyst. Seven of the lectures have been published elsewhere. Each lecture, slightly rewritten in chapter form, further illuminates specific aspects and implications of Bowlby's theory of attachment. These include: the relationship between family violence and early attachment experiences; the central features of sensitive, caring parenting and the unique roles of fathers; the origins of depression in childhood experience; and the relationship between attachment theory and the therapeutic process. The reviewer believes that the book should serve as "a secure base" for those eclectic therapists seeking to integrate and extend Bowlby's ideas in their clinical work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Leadership and attachment theory.

Comments on the six articles contained in the special issue of the American Psychologist (January 2007) devoted to leadership, written by W. Bennis (see record 2006-23492-002); S. J. Zaccaro (see record 2006-23492-003); V. H. Vroom and A. G. Yago (see record 2006-23492-004); B. J. Avolio (see record 2006-23492-005); R. J. Sternberg (see record 2006-23492-006); and R. J. Hackman and R. Wageman (see record 2006-23492-007). The current authors opine that the inclusion of attachment theory in the study of leadership could strengthen leadership theories as a whole. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Ten years of research on the false-consensus effect: An empirical and theoretical review": Correction to Marks and Miller.

Reports an error in "Ten years of research on the false-consensus effect: An empirical and theoretical review" by Gary Marks and Norman Miller (Psychological Bulletin, 1987[Jul], Vol 102[1], 72-90). The block quotation on page 73 should be attributed to Crocker (1981). The two sentences immediately preceding this quotation should read: "Friendship groups typically exhibit a high degree of internal similarity with respect to members' beliefs, attitudes, values, and interests. Crocker (1981) reported the following:". (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1987-31255-001.) Ten years of research on the false-consensus effect (Ross, Greene, & House, 1977) and related biases in social perception (e.g., assumed similarity and overestimation of consensus) are examined in the light of four general theoretical perspectives: (a) selective exposure and cognitive availability, (b) salience and focus of attention, (c) logical information processing, and (d) motivational processes. The findings indicate that these biases are influenced by a host of variables and that no single explanation can account for the range of data. Instead, each theoretical perspective appears to have its own domain of application, albeit with some degree of overlap into other domains. The data further suggest that two or more specific mechanisms may operate simultaneously or in concert to produce assumed similarity and false-consensus effects. Discussion focuses on identifying the process or sets of processes operating in specific situations. We identify several gaps in the knowledge of mediating relationships and suggest directions for future research. We also discuss issues related to definition and measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Perceived parental social support and academic achievement: An attachment perspective": Correction to Cutrona et al.

Reports an error in "Perceived parental social support and academic achievement: An attachment theory perspective" by Carolyn E. Cutrona, Valerie Cole, Nicholas Colangelo, Susan G. Assouline and Daniel W. Russell (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1994[Feb], Vol 66[2], 369-378). This article, which appeared in the Personality and Individual Differences section, was accepted for publication by Guest Editor Irwin Sarason. We wish to thank Professor Sarason for his help and to apologize for our oversight in not acknowledging this contribution. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1994-31441-001.) Tested the extent to which parental social support predicted college GPA among undergraduates. A sample of 418 undergraduates completed the Social Provisions Scale--Parent Form (C. E. Cutrona; see record 1990-01422-001) and measures of family conflict and achievement orientation. American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program college entrance exam scores (American College Testing Program, 1986) and GPA were obtained from the university registrar. Parental social support, especially reassurance of worth, predicted college GPA when controlling for academic aptitude (ACT scores), family achievement orientation, and family conflict. Support from parents, but not from friends or romantic partners, significantly predicted GPA. Results are interpreted in the context of adult attachment theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conserving breasts and relationships.

Comments on the article by S. M. Levy et al. (see record 1993-30639-001) which compared mastectomy to breast conservation surgery. Contrary to expectation, Levy et al. found that patients who chose to have breast-conservation surgery rated themselves as having less energy and receiving less emotional support than did women who chose to have modified radical mastectomies. As this research clearly demonstrates, decisions to conserve or remove a breast have complex consequences, which may well have more to do with the disease itself and the patient's and partner's reactions to it than with any intervening surgical and medical procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Incidental concept learning, feature frequency, and correlated properties": Correction to Wattenmaker.

Reports an error in "Incidental concept learning, feature frequency, and correlated properties" by William D. Wattenmaker (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 1993[Jan], Vol 19[1], 203-222). This article included three typographical errors in the statistics. The corrected statistics are provided in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1993-16363-001.) Four experiments examined sensitivity to feature frequencies and feature correlations as a function of intentional and incidental concept learning. Feature frequencies were encoded equally well across variations in learning strategies, and although classification decisions in both intentional and incidental conditions preserved correlated features, this sensitivity was achieved through different processes. With intentional learning, sensitivity to correlations resulted from explicit rules, whereas incidental encoding preserved correlations through a similarity-based analogical process. In incidental tasks that promoted exemplar storage, classification decisions were mediated by similarity to retrieval examples, and correlated features were indirectly preserved in this process. Results are discussed in terms of the diversity of encoding processes and representations that can occur with incidental category learning. [An erratum concerning this article appears in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 1993(Mar), Vol 19(2). The statistics on page 211 are corrected.] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct systems and the definition of social situations.

Studied the relationship between 2 construct subsystems, one for construing people and one for defining a concrete social situation. Using a variant of G. Kelly's grid methodology, 20 college students rated 12 personal acquaintances on 12 constructs of bipolar concepts. They were then presented with 1 of 2 problematic social situations and asked to rate the same acquaintances on 10 dimensions relevant to the situation. Principal-components analysis was used to derive 1 central and 2 secondary patterns of construing (centrality being defined by the amount of variance the component accounts for on a grid), as well as 1 central and 2 secondary dimensions defining the social situation. Cross-correlations between the orderings of people on these 2 sets of components were used to determine the extent to which "implicit personality theory" influenced the definition of a situation. Findings show that central construing related strongly to the central definition of a situation, whereas secondary construing related more weakly to secondary definitions. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trajectories of social withdrawal from grades 1 to 6: Prediction from early parenting, attachment, and temperament.

From 1,092 children in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the authors identified 3 trajectory patterns of social withdrawal from teacher reports in Grades 1-6: a normative consistently low group (86%), a decreasing group (5%) with initially high withdrawal that decreased, and an increasing group (9%) with initially low withdrawal that increased. Prediction models supported the role of early dysregulated temperament, insensitive parenting, and attachment. Preschool shy temperament was a specific pathway to decreasing withdrawal, and poor inhibitory control was a specific pathway to increasing withdrawal. Children on the increasing pathway were more lonely, solitary, and were excluded by peers. Results suggest differentiated pathways to varying trajectories of social withdrawal and highlight the importance of identification of longitudinal patterns in relation to risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)