Attachment representations among Lebanese young adults : challenging western assumptions through a culturally adapted lens

Abstract

Previous attachment and cultural research have found that attachment constructs and tools are based on Western thought and values. Accordingly, the tools used for assessment may not be culturally accurate. These claims of bias to Western thought led researchers to doubt the universality claims of attachment. Thus, some tools were culturally adapted to have a more comprehensive view of attachment, reconceptualizing attachment theory as a culture sensitive framework and accurately measuring its constructs, such as attachment representations. The present study examines attachment representations of Lebanese young adults using a culturally adapted version of the CaMir (Cartes-Modeles Individuels de Relations). The use of this tool on such a population is the second of its kind in Lebanese society, where the first usage of the tool was to measure the representations of children. The research sample comprised 588 males and females aged between 18 and 26 enrolled in the top eight universities in Lebanon. The factorial analysis revealed four distinct attachment representation factors: Insecure detached, secure Interdependence, secure distanciation, and Insecure-unresolved. The results also showed that the most privileged attachment representation in this population was the secure distancing representation, followed by insecure unresolved, secure interdependence, and insecure detached. These categories are consistent with the ones found in the Lebanese children population and are different from the normal distribution in the Western world. However, the distribution of the representations is different, indicating that age and demographics also influence attachment representations. The results suggest that the specific cultural context of attachment representations goes beyond the Universalist assumptions of attachment theory. Finally, this study highlights the importance of culturally sensitive attachment assessments and contests the Western-centered stereotypes that have long dominated the attachment theory and the standard definition of global relationships and development.