Exploring the Cross-Cultural Validity of Attachment Theory: A Study of Egyptian Mother-Child Dyads Using the Strange Situation Procedure

Given the dearth of literature on attachment theory in the Arab world, this study explores the cross-cultural validity of attachment theory within an Egyptian sample through the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). The study examines the applicability of attachment theory’s universality, normativity, and secure base hypotheses, as well as the prevalence and manifestations of insecurity in an Egyptian sample. The sample for this study consisted of 60 Egyptian mother-child dyads. The findings supported attachment theory’s universality, normativity and secure base hypotheses, while simultaneously pointing towards cultural variations in attachment manifestations. Specifically, this study found that all children were classifiable according to the ABC classification system, and that secure attachment was the most prevalent within the sample. Additionally, trends of exploration and crying highly aligned with Ainsworth’s findings in the Baltimore study, supporting the secure base phenomenon within this Egyptian sample. Nevertheless, cultural differences were also evident. Specifically, resistant attachment was more common than avoidant attachment, which differs from the global prevalence. Resistant attachment also primarily took the form of inconsolability rather than anger within this sample. Cultural factors are explored to explain these findings, and future directions of research are discussed.

鉴于阿拉伯世界依恋理论相关研究文献较为匮乏，本研究通过陌生情境实验（Strange Situation Procedure, SSP），以埃及样本为对象考察依恋理论的跨文化有效性。本研究旨在验证依恋理论的普遍性假设、规范性假设与安全基地假设的适用性，同时考察埃及样本中不安全依恋的流行率与表现形式。本研究的样本包含60对埃及母婴二元组。研究结果证实了依恋理论的普遍性、规范性与安全基地假设，同时也揭示了依恋表现存在文化差异。具体而言，本研究发现所有儿童均可通过ABC分类系统（ABC classification system）进行归类，且安全依恋在本样本中占比最高。此外，儿童的探索行为与哭泣表现趋势与安斯沃斯在巴尔的摩研究中的发现高度契合，进一步证实了埃及样本中的安全基地现象。不过，本研究也发现了显著的文化差异：相较于回避型依恋（avoidant attachment），矛盾型依恋（resistant attachment）在本样本中更为常见，这与全球流行情况存在差异。此外，本样本中的矛盾型依恋主要表现为难以安抚，而非愤怒情绪。本研究探讨了可解释上述研究结果的文化因素，并对未来的研究方向进行了探讨。