Explaining superstitious behavior based on attachment styles and anxiety in the students of Bu Ali Sina University

The purpose of This study was the explaining of superstitious behavior based on attachment styles and anxiety. The design of this study was correlational in nature and the statistical population consisted of 12874 students of Bu'ali University based on the statistics of the University of Bu'ali in the academic year of 2016-17. Among this population, 370 of them were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method using the sample size formula. In this study, we used superstitious behavior (researcher-made 1396) questionnaires, Hazan (1987) attachment styles, and Spielberger's (1970)state-trait anxiety and data was analyzed using Pearson-Product Moment correlation and multiple regression. The results revealed that anxiety can explain the superstitious behavior of the University students. Also attachment styles can explain this behavior. State anxiety cannot predict superstition, but trait anxiety can predict this behavior. Moreover, the avoidance style can predict superstition. The ambivalent attachment style predicts superstitious behavior more than that of the avoidance style. But secure attachment cannot predict this behavior. According to the findings, we can conclude that anxiety, especially trait anxiety, is effective in the creation of superstitious behavior. People with trait anxiety are highly prepared for this behavior. On the other hand, based on the previous research findings, the insecure attachment styles, especially the ambivalent ones, which are closely associated with anxiety, are involved in creating this behavior.