Dissertation Research: Culture and Normative Developmental Models

以前的跨文化研究表明，文化意义系统在不同依恋行为模式的发展中发挥着作用。然而，还没有研究直接评估文化意义系统对父母依恋行为知觉的影响。这项由两部分组成的研究将比较英国和波多黎各的中下层母亲对幼儿依恋行为的看法。第一项研究将考察母亲对合意依恋行为和不合意依恋行为的固有概念。与其个人主义文化取向相一致，盎格鲁母亲比波多黎各母亲更有可能关注其子女的自主性和内部应对资源的发展。相比之下，波多黎各母亲比盎格鲁母亲更有可能强调孩子在维持人际和谐方面的重要品质发展，这反映了他们以社会为中心的取向。根据母亲的反应，将构建在每个文化群体中被认为是可取的和不可取的依恋行为的原型。第二项研究将比较母亲们对典型幼儿的看法。据预测，母亲们会根据这些与她们的文化相关的描述给蹒跚学步的孩子打出最高分。本研究将有助于理解社会文化意义系统对母亲依恋行为认知的影响。我们将了解来自不同社会文化背景的母亲是否对童年持有不同的规范性观念，以及这些观念是否会导致她们对相同的儿童行为做出不同的评价。通过这次调查，将使规范行为模式中的社会文化因素更加明显，并将丰富流行的儿童发展模式。

Previous cross-cultural studies have suggested that cultural meaning systems play a role in the development of differing patterns of attachment behavior. However, no research has been conducted directly assessing the impact of cultural meaning systems on parents perceptions of attachment behavior. The present two-part study will compare lower- and middle-class Anglo and Puerto Rican mothers'views of attachment behavior in toddlers. The first study will examine mothers' indigenous concepts of desirable versus undesirable attachment behavior. Consistent with their individualistic cultural orientation, Anglo mothers are more likely than Puerto Rican mothers to be concerned with the development of autonomy and internal coping resources in their children. In contrast, reflecting their sociocentric orientation, Puerto Rican mothers are more likely than Anglo mothers to emphasize their children's development of qualities important in maintaining interpersonal harmony. Based on mothers' responses, prototypes of attachment behavior considered desirable and undesirable in each cultural group will be constructed. The second study will compare mothers' perceptions of the prototypical toddlers. It is predicted that mothers will rate the toddlers most extremely along these descriptors which are relevant to their culture. This research will contribute to an understanding of the impact of sociocultural meaning systems on mothers' perceptions of attachment behavior. We will learn whether mothers from different sociocultural backgrounds hold contrasting normative conceptions of childhood, and whether these conceptions lead them to evaluate the same child behaviors differently. Through this investigation, the sociocultural elements in models of normative behavior will be made more apparent, and prevailing models of child development will be enriched.