Right here in the good ol’ USA! The penalties for attachment avoidance are much greater in collectivist cultures than in individualist cultures:
This study examined the impact of attachment avoidance on relationship outcomes. A “cultural fit” hypothesis, which states that individual differences in personality should be associated with relationship problems if they encourage patterns of behavior that are incongruent with cultural norms, was investigated. It was hypothesized that attachment avoidance, a style of relationship in which emotional distance and independence are emphasized, would be more strongly associated with relationship problems in more collectivist societies (Hong Kong and Mexico) than in a more individualist one (the United States), given the greater emphasis placed on closeness and harmony in relationships in collectivist cultures. As predicted, associations between avoidant attachment and relationship problems were stronger in Hong Kong and Mexico than in the United States.
Source: “Attachment avoidance and the cultural fit hypothesis: A cross-cultural investigation” from the journal “Personal Relationships”
Y’know, that may explain a lot about life in the US…
If you want to read a book about the extremes of emotional distance (or you just like well-written, true stories about serial killers) check out this book.
