Interpersonal Attachment and Patterns of Ideological Belief

Abstract

We examine whether two general dimensions of sociopolitical belief-right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO)-are rooted in insecure psychological attachment. Based on an undergraduate sample (N = 255), we model the relations among attachment styles, general worldviews, RWA, and SDO. A structural equation model indicated that anxious attachment led to RWA but not SDO and that this effect was mediated by the belief that the world is a dangerous place. In contrast, avoidant attachment led to SDO but not RWA, and this effect was mediated by the belief that the world is an uncaring, competitive jungle in which people are motivated to maximize personal utility. We discuss the implications of these findings for the nature and origins of political conservatism.

Beyond Muslim identity: Opinion-based groups in the Gezi Park protest

“…71) (Weber & Federico, 2007): e.g., 'In the era we live in, it is necessary to lead the country with an iron fist'. Table 1 shows descriptive statistics and correlations of the study variables.…”

Civic-Political Development in the Context of Economic Apartheid in Distressed Communities: A Theoretical Model

“…It is within a competitive economic jungle that we develop our abilities to engage in society (Weber & Frederico, 2007). It is this competitive economic jungle that is demarcated by fixed class status lines promoting economic apartheid.…”

“…Further, civic-political development constitutes a range of civic-political attachment behaviors. These behaviors are voting, volunteerism, association membership or political and community activism, and serve to strengthen one's attachment to a community and its people (Crowe, 2010;Fogel, 2004;Hardina, 2003;Kelly, 2006;Pan, Littlefield, Valladolid, Tapping, & West, 2005) and relieve anxiety and stress in what some identify as a competitive economic jungle (Weber & Frederico, 2007).…”

“…Civic-political development incorporates a maturing individual's social, emotional and financial participation in civic-political life to positively influence the future of the community through shared governance (Hays & Kogl, 2007;Kelly, 2013a;Kelly, 2009;Oesterle et al, 2004;Weber & Frederico, 2007). Civic-political development is a combination of social connectedness and civic-political attachment behaviors across the life span and comprises stages of development toward a secure civic-political attachment status emerging from secure or insecure attachment relationships within the environment (Kelly, 2009).…”

Effect of Family Configuration on Preadolescents' Decision-Making Competence

“…Many established scales designed to measure political attitudes ask about specific policies and are there fore outdated or include extreme statements that are no longer particularly relevant (e.g., the Social Attitudes Statement Scale, SA II, Kerlinger, 1984;Conservatism Scale, McClosky, 1958;McClosky & Bann, 1979). While single item self reports are com monly used in assessment of political attitudes (e.g., Jost, 2006;Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994;Weber & Federico, 2007), this study could be improved by using an objective measure of political attitudes or by asking about past political behavior (e.g., voting history), rather than self reported liberalism and conservatism. In this way, liberal ism and conservatism would have standardized definitions, accounting for individual participant differences in the meaning of liberal or conserva tive.…”