Patterns of the attachment-exploration balance of 1-year-old infants from the United States and northern Germany

Abstract

In this study, the attachment-exploration balance of 1-year-old infants is analyzed with two cultural samples. Nineteen 12-month-old infants from northern Germany and 19 from the United States were observed in a novel and a familiar setting together with their mothers. The expected mutually exclusive regulation of attachment and exploration is demonstrated for both samples. Infants refer more to their mothers in novel situations and explore more in familiar situations. However, the balance between these two systems seems to be established differently in the two samples.