The causal relationship of attachment styles with moral foundations through the mediation of moral identity

The aim of this study was to investigate the causal relationship attachment with moral foundations of moral identity through mediation.
For this purpose 285 undergraduate students were selected from the state universities of Yasuj through multi-stage random sampling. Participants answered three questionnaires including Hazan and Shaver Attachment Scale Questionnaire, Aquino and Reed Moral Identity and Moral Foundations Questionnaire by Haidt and Graham. Structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis.
Findings showed that the model had a good fitness with the research’s data. In this study, none of avoidant, and ambivalent styles were able to predict the moral identity and moral foundations. Direct path secure attachment with dimensions of moral identity was significant. The direct path internalization aspects of moral identity to moral foundations (caring, fairness, loyalty to the group, respect for authority and purity) was significant. But the direct path symbolization of identity to fairness of moral foundations was not significant. Secure attachment style, indirectly, through moral identity with all aspects of moral foundations (caring, fairness, loyalty to the group, respect for authority and purity) was significant.
Secure attachment formed in childhood can cause internal commitment to ethics, and moral identity. can lead to moral behavior .In other words, people with secure attachment style, trust to him/herself and others, Then moral values become a part of their identities, and are willing to do moral behavior in all situations.