Attachment theory and research in a cross-cultural perspective

Two sources of information are used in this paper to examine the question of culture-specific versus universal aspects of attachment theory. The first source is our work on Israeli kibbutzim and the other a secondary data analysis of samples from different countries. Our analyses provide some predictive validity support for our attachment research on Israeli kibbutzim, irrespective of level of stress elicited by the 'Strange Situation' during infancy. Also, our cross-national analyses suggest that within each country the differences in interactive behaviors are similar and in line with expectations from attachment theory, hence supporting the universal aspects of attachment theory.