Cross-cultural research on attachment shows what regarding secure attachment and caregiving?

• A. Secure attachment is rare outside Western cultures
• B. Caregiving norms do not affect attachment expectations
• C. Secure attachment is common across cultures, but caregiving norms shape expectations and behavior
• D. Attachment can be reliably measured without considering cultural context

Answer: (C)

A key point is that secure attachment is found across diverse cultures, reflecting a universal need for reliable, sensitive caregiving that the infant can depend on as a base for exploration. Across different societies, when caregivers consistently respond to an infant’s needs, security tends to develop. At the same time, the way security is expressed and what counts as responsive behavior are shaped by local caregiving norms. Some cultures emphasize extended-family caregiving or communal childrearing, which can influence how infants behave in testing situations and how attachment is observed or interpreted, even when the underlying security is present. Cross-cultural research shows that, while the proportions of different attachment styles can vary due to measurement and cultural expectations, secure attachment itself is common worldwide, with caregiving norms shaping expectations and behavior.