Exploring Cultural Influences on Attachment: 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 influence of Egyptian culture on attachment patterns through the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). The study examines the applicability of attachment theory’s universality and normativity hypotheses, as well as the prevalence and manifestations of insecurity in an Egyptian sample. The role of maternal control, gender and expression of distress were also explored in relation to the child’s attachment classification. The sample consisted of 60 mother-child dyads, and the mean age of the children was 17.18 months (SD = 3.31). The findings of the study supported attachment theory’s universality and normativity hypotheses, while at the same time pointing towards cultural variations in attachment manifestations. Specifically, this study found that while secure attachment was the most prevalent, anxious attachment was more common than avoidant attachment, which differs from the global prevalence rates. Anxious attachment also primarily took the form of inconsolability rather than anger within this sample. Highest levels of maternal control (measured through the Behavioral Control Scale) were found to be correlated with anxious attachment in children. Additionally, significant differences between boys' and girls’ expression of distress and attachment subtypes were also found. Cultural factors are explored to explain these findings, and future directions of research are discussed.