Adult Attachment Style and Political Ideology

Cecilie Gaziano

SAGE Open, 2017, vol. 7, issue 3, 2158244017724493

Abstract: Political polarization has intensified in the United States since the 1970s. The present research concerned adult attachment style as a potential explanation for ideological divisions. Few studies have examined this, mainly in college student samples, and their results conflict. The present research contributes to the literature because it is the first one to focus on the relationship of adult attachment to ideology in general population samples. Ideology was measured by self-placement on a 7-point scale. Attachment was measured by Carver’s 14-item self-reported Measure of Attachment Qualities (MAQ). Structural equation models were estimated for path analyses. The results for the direct effect of secure attachment style on ideology were mixed and indicated that both liberals and conservatives can have secure attachments. Results also underscored the potential importance of higher socioeconomic status for secure relational attachment style. Higher religiosity and lower trust in mass media contributed to conservatism.

Keywords: adult attachment; ideology; religiosity; media trust; socioeconomic status; political psychology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:7:y:2017:i:3:p:2158244017724493

DOI: 10.1177/2158244017724493

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