Cross-Cultural Differences in Adult Attachment and Depression: A Culturally Congruent Approach

초록

Public Significance Statement This cross-cultural study suggests that greater attachment anxiety and avoidance is associated with diminished social self-efficacy, which increases depressive symptoms for U.S. individuals, but not for Koreans. Korean individuals show a greater level of approval of others (AO), and AO functions differently in the attachment-depression relation between U.S. and Korean individuals. This research informs the public of the importance of understanding the critical role of cultural factors in attachment influence on mental health. This cross-cultural study investigated a conditional indirect effect model in which country membership (South Korea or United States) and the need for approval of others (AO) were hypothesized to moderate the direct and indirect effects of attachment insecurity on depression via social self-efficacy (SSE). A total of 673 Korean university students and 401 American university students completed research questionnaires. Results indicated that Korean students endorsed a significantly higher level of AO than American students. Additionally, findings revealed that the strengths of several significant direct and indirect effects varied significantly by country membership and AO. Finally, we found a significant three-way interaction (Attachment avoidance x Country membership x AO), suggesting the necessity of considering cultural differences in attachment influence. The limitations and implications of our cross-cultural findings for decolonization in Western-based psychology are discussed.

키워드