Intercultural considerations on infant attachment in the Italian culture: a Strange Situation study

In this research, 43 13-months-old Italian infants were observed in the Ainsworth Strange Situation procedure in order to study the distribution of infant-mother attachment in the Italian culture. The aim of this work was to investigate similarities and differences in the attachment behavioral organization of the Italian infants with respect to others belonging to different U.S. culture. Then, a meta-analytic-like approach was used to compare this sample with distributions of attachment in U.S. and European countries. Results show a significant lower proportion of secure attached infants in the Italian culture and more insecure-avoidant ones (A= 39.5%; B= 44.2%; C= 16.3%) than in U.S. samples. Moreover, Italian infants differ from North American ones also with respect to several specific and relevant behaviors exhibited by children during the SSP, in relation to reunions and separation from the mother. More in general, behavioral strategies of ltalian infants were characterized by lesser proximity or contact seeking, stress display and by more independence and autonomy with respect to the mother.