Title
Is the secure base phenomenon evident here, there, and anywhere? A cross-cultural study of child behavior and experts' definitions
Date Issued
01 November 2013
Access level
open access
Resource Type
review article
Author(s)
Posada G.
Lu T.
Trumbell J.
Kaloustian G.
Trudel M.
Plata S.J.
Peña P.P.
Perez J.
Tereno S.
Dugravier R.
Coppola G.
Constantini A.
Cassibba R.
Kondo-Ikemura K.
Haya I.M.
Pedraglio C.
Verissimo M.
Santos A.J.
Monteiro L.
Lay K.L.
Abstract
The evolutionary rationale offered by Bowlby implies that secure base relationships are common in child-caregiver dyads and thus, child secure behavior observable across diverse social contexts and cultures. This study offers a test of the universality hypothesis. Trained observers in nine countries used the Attachment Q-set to describe the organization of children's behavior in naturalistic settings. Children (N = 547) were 10-72 months old. Child development experts (N = 81) from all countries provided definitions of optimal child secure base use. Findings indicate that children from all countries use their mother as a secure base. Children's organization of secure base behavior was modestly related to each other both within and across countries. Experts' descriptions of the optimally attached child were highly similar across cultures. © 2013 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.
Start page
1896
End page
1905
Volume
84
Issue
6
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Pediatría
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84880147586
PubMed ID
Source
Child Development
ISSN of the container
00093920
Sponsor(s)
National Science Foundation
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus