ABSTRACT

A fter the application of attachment perspectives was expanded from parent-child relationships to adult attachment in the 1980s, a rapidly growing body of empirical literature has used attachment theory as an organizational framework to conceptualize a wide range of psychosocial and relational issues in adulthood (Simpson & Rholes, 1998). Recently, the concept of adult attachment security has been promoted as a basis for understanding adult development of the “healthy and effective self” (Lopez & Brennan, 2000). As the theory quickly gains

CONTENTS Adult Attachment and Cross-Cultural Research Findings 16

Cross-Cultural Validity of Adult Attachment 17 Comparison of Attachment Styles Between Eastern and Western Groups 17 Influences of Adult Attachment on Individuals’ Well-Being 18

Cultural Context and Adult Attachment 19 Self-Construals 19 Yuan 20 Filial Piety 21 Romantic Love 22 Dialectical Thinking Pattern 23

Chinese Adult Attachment Model 24 Perception of One’s Relational Status 24 Fulfillment of One’s Relational Obligations 26 Cultural Context and Chinese Attachment Model 28

Future Research Directions and Conclusion 29 References 31

popularity, however, awareness of the limitations on the theory’s cross-cultural validity and potential overgeneralization of the Western-based attachment perspectives to non-Western adult populations has grown among adult attachment researchers (Wang & Mallinckrodt, 2006). We believe that culture plays a critical role in the manifestation of attachment styles and behaviors in adults and that an accurate understanding of the guiding attachment system of non-Western individuals can only be obtained through considerations of relevant cultural contexts. In this chapter, we use Chinese culture to illustrate how cultural factors may affect adult attachment with an aim to offer an alternative attachment model consistent with indigenous Chinese cultural context. We begin with a brief review of basic attachment constructs and cross-cultural adult attachment research findings and then follow with introductions of some important cultural factors to provide readers the necessary understanding of the cultural context. Then, the proposed adult attachment model and its implications are presented and discussed.