Journal of Fundamentals Mashhad University Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

of Mental Health of Medical Sciences Research Center

Original Article

Prediction of female college students self-esteem based on their

moral identity and attachment styles
Shahram Vahedi1*; Manijeh Yari-Sis 2
1
Associate professor of psychology, Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran
2
Ph.D. student in psychology, Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract
Introduction: This research conducted to assess the relationship between attachment to parents, moral identity, and self-
esteem among female college students.
Materials and Methods: The statistical community of this descriptive correlational study included all bachelor female
college students of Tabriz University in 2010. So, 289 students of different academic courses were selected by cluster
multistage sampling method. All participants were asked to complete Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Inventory of Parent
Attachment (IPPA), and Moral Identity Scale. In order to analyze the data, Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise
multiple regression method and SPSS software were applied.
Results: The results of stepwise multiple regression indicated 3 significant stages. The third stage results indicated that
the attachment to parents (trust and alienation), and the internalization subscale of moral identity, predicted 13 percents of
the variance related to self esteem (P<0.05, F=12.12, R2=0.12).
Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that a parental trust was the best and strongest
predictor of self-esteem in female students.
Keywords: Attachment, Identity, Parents, Self-esteem
Please cite this paper as:
Vahedi Sh, Yari-Sis M. Prediction of female college students self-esteem based on their moral identity and attachment styles. Journal
of Fundamentals of Mental Health 2016 Jul-Aug; 18(4): 227-33.

Introduction liked and supported, can act independently and they

The development of healthy self-esteem is an can progress integrated and non-conditional self-
important index of psychological adjustment. Self- esteem. People who be liked by their parents after
esteem relates with cognitive, emotional and supplement of their expectations tend to progress
behavioral variables. People with high self-esteem very conditional self-esteem because they learn that
are depressed, anxious and dependent to substance feel good sense about their successes not failures as a
abuse lesser than people with low self-esteem. These result of received acknowledgement for their good
people have more social skills and most likely they performance. So parenting style has an important
have safe attachment style (1). role in development of children's self-esteem.
Eriksson knows family as a main factor of Ka-on man and Nicholas (4) studied the relation
socialization process. The first interaction with between attachment styles with students' self-esteem.
important individuals forms the attachment and 255 Chinese students and teachers fulfilled the
communication with parents is the first contact to attachment style questionnaire and self-esteem
community and greater culture (2). The results of scales. The results showed that people with safe
studies indicate that attachment style has a attachment style has higher self-esteem compared to
significant relation with self-esteem that some of those with unsafe attachment style (5). Hustinger and
them are mentioned: Deci and Ryan (3) suggested Luechen study (6) indicated that college students
that parenting style has effect on self-esteem in the with safe attachment style have higher self-esteem
field of socialization. For example, people who are and healthy behaviors compared to those with unsafe
*Corresponding Author: Faculty of Psychology and Education attachment.
Sciences, Tabriz University of Mashhad, Tabriz, Iran The results of Moayyedfar et al. (5) indicated that
[email protected] the safe, avoidance and anxious/bivalence
Received: Apr. 09, 2014
Accepted: Sep. 30, 2015 attachment styles can explain significantly the

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SELF-ESTEEM BASED ON MORAL IDENTITY AND ATTACHMENT STYLES VAHEDI, YARI-SIS

variance of social self-esteem variable it means that in identity assessment. Also, some aspects of
enhancement of safe attachment can increase the interaction between individual and environment can
social self-esteem and enhancement of avoidance improve identity identification in process of identity
and anxious/bivalence attachments can decrease it. formation (2).
Hijazi and Negahban (7) suggested that the safe Many studies have been conducted through
attachment to parents can predict information approach of identity assessment that it is indicated
identity, normalization and commitment to identity identity is related to most of underlying,
but safe attachment to peers relates with normal interpersonal and personal traits. Based on the
identity style. Therefore, the past studies indicated experimental evidences, peoples who classified as
that adolescents in conditions of confusion, report successful identity trend to play their role as well in
high familial challenge and low safety attachment to the stressful conditions, they explain the higher
parents (2). levels of ethical development and they resistant
In addition to self-esteem, the formation of against manipulation of self-esteem and that they
completed identity is an index of well psychological have inner self-regulatory process (11, 13).
function (8). Erikson (9) believes that development It is indicated that their families have emotional
of true self-evaluation relates with self-autonomy attachment/integration, high levels of praise,
sense in primary childhood. The successful solving obvious individuality, medium-low parent-
of task of ego, self-autonomy versus to shame or adolescent conflicts and at least usage of behavioral
doubt means that child knows he/she is an control as parenting style (14). The people with
independent individual with special wishes and stopped identity are the same to the successful
tendencies. The doubt sense about ability to perform young people but they have more anxiety and they
issues may lead to negative self-evaluations among accept dictation values at least compared to people
adolescents and it decreases their tendencies to with premature identity (15). As the same, the
identity probing. On the other hand, positive self- families of children with stopped-identity have self-
esteem helps to maintenance of integration despite expressiveness and expressiveness but they have
of growth transitions and life crisis (10). weak family integration (14, 16).
According to Erikson theory (9), the identity In the other hand, people with premature identity
formation depends on the individuals' independency have supported dictation beliefs more than others
and future managing. For example, Marcia and they evaluated lesser in moral development
suggested that people with successful identity compared to people with successful and stopped
reported the high levels of self esteem compared to identities and they had most rigid thought process
people with stopped, premature and confused (11). In addition, Branden theory suggests that high
identity (11). As the same, youth people with permanent self-esteem is augmented through the
successful or stopped-identity are at low risk of methods such as responsibility for self-actions, truth
manipulation of self-esteem in stressful conditions acceptation about self and insist on acting
(2). In addition the developmental researches accordance with virtue. So, the maintenance of self-
showed that individuals, who had high self-esteem esteem has direct relation with virtue and moral
without controversies during adolescence period, identity (17).
received academic high scores and they had at least One of the effective variables on self-esteem is
sensitivity about peers' tension, and they moral identity. The moral identity includes the
experienced substance abuse less than the others structure of commitment to moral principles.
(12). Overall, the positive self-esteem has important Although moral identity is a rich and
role in formation of identity. multidimensional structure but one of important its
People with high self-esteem display flexibility aspects may be a cognitive self-schema. It is about
against challenging issues with their identity in common language (honesty, kindness and justice),
condition of potential stressful information. As the association of systematic ethical traits and it is
same, the social background can affect on the important for personal and public aspects of person's
individuals satisfaction about absorption of the identity. This definition makes 2 hypothesizes: first,
aspects related to culture, occupational/educational the relation between moral identity and behavior
environments, friends, family and society and it may guides through the maintenance of self-schema
improve the self-autonomy and healthy feelings related to moral self-schema. Second, person's moral
about independency. Adolescents, who know the schema is imaginable in relation with other moral
specific value for exploration, have sense of relation goals and behavioral models in social community.
to their family, friends and society probably involve The power of this association is related with self-

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SELF-ESTEEM BASED ON MORAL IDENTITY AND ATTACHMENT STYLES VAHEDI, YARI-SIS

imaging of moral identity. So that, if person's moral attachment included mutual trust, quality of
identity for the understanding of importance of self communication and alienation. The trust subscale
as high (low), then remind of self-related schema has 10 items measures participants' security sense
may affect on justice and high moral behavior (low). about parents' response to their emotional needs,
The moral identity is a main source of motivation communication subscale has 9 items and it measures
which leads to more concordance between person's the quantity and quality of communication and
moral principles and moral actions. According to alienation subscale has 6 items which measures the
Erikson theory, moral identity has two different senses of alienation and isolation. The high scores in
aspects. It defines experienced identity which roots each subscale, indicates more safe attachment. The
in its core nature and includes honesty about self- validity and convergence of this scale has been
actions (18). approved through calculated correlation between
According to Erikson theory (19), self-esteem and conflict, family support, internal well-being, life
development of individuals' identity are relative satisfaction, depression/anxiety, life events and etc
with each other closely but few studies assessed the (23). Jonathan (24) estimated the reliability of this
relationship between moral identity and self-esteem scale as : 0.68 to 0.91 and reliability after 3 weeks
so the present study aimed to assess the relationship calculated as 0.93. The validity of translated version
between dimensions of attachment and components was assessed by the researcher. After validity and
of moral identity with female students' self-esteem. content validity, the reliability of this inventory for
attachment to mother, father and peers calculated as
Materials and Methods 0.85, 0.83 and 0.86.
The statistical community of this descriptive- - Moral Identity Inventory: This inventory included
correlational study concluded female college two 5-item subscales: internal (degree of moral traits
students in first and second academic term of which is important for participants self-image
bachelor course of Tabriz University in academic (=0.84)) and symbolization (participants present
year of 2009. The sampling conducted through what degree of social identity based on the moral
multi-phases clustering method. The sample size traits (=0.85)). The list conclude 9 moral traits
calculated by Tabachnick and Fidell formula (20) presented to participants (for example
and 289 female students were selected among compassionate, kind, honest, just and etc.) and asked
female students of Tabriz University (one or two them to imagine the image of person with these
classes of faculties of human sciences, basic traits and score 10 sentences in a 7 degree system
sciences, engineering). from completely disagree (1) to completely agree
The questionnaires of self-esteem, parenting and (7). The noticeable evidences were found in support
peers attachment styles and moral identity were of the validity of measurement of moral identity
fulfilled after describing the purposes of research. (25).
Research instruments
- Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES): This 10- Results
item scale is a most common instrument for In this research, 289 female college students of
measurement of self-esteem and many studies Tabriz University (faculties of human sciences,
supported its validity and reliability (21). Judge et basic sciences and engineering) assessed in term of
al. (24) reported its reliability in four cases as 0.82, relation between dimensions of attachment and
0.80, 0.88 and 0.89. Sheikhshabani et al. reported its moral identity with self-esteem. Table 1 indicated
reliability through Cronbach's alpha and split-half as the total mean and standard deviations of variables.
0.75 and 0.60 respectively. For assessment of its The mutual correlation between the variables
validity the scores of this scale were correlated with indicated that trust dimension (P<0.01, r=0.24),
the scores of self-efficacy and job satisfaction. The alienation (P<0.01, r=0.16) and subscale of internal-
results showed that the correlation between self- moral identity (P<0.01, r=0.22) had great
esteem scale with self-efficacy and job satisfaction correlation with self-esteem. This significant
are 0.64 and 0.27 respectively which both of them relation model was found about components of
are significant in 0.001 (22). moral identity with trust dimension (P<0.05,
- Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA): r=0.12), component of symbolization with
The modified version of this inventory concluded 25 alienation (P<0.05, r=0.13), components of moral
items which evaluates the emotional, cognitive and identity with each other (P<0.01, r=0.35). In
behavioral aspects of attachment to parents. This addition, communication dimension in attachment to
inventory has been made to assess the dimensions of parents had not significant relation with any of

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SELF-ESTEEM BASED ON MORAL IDENTITY AND ATTACHMENT STYLES VAHEDI, YARI-SIS

variables (P>0.05).

Table 1. The indexes of descriptive statistics and correlative matrix between predictor and pattern variables

Standard deviation

Communication

Internalization

Symbolization
Self-esteem

Alienation
Variable

Mean

Trust
Self-esteem 41.96 8.00 -

Trust 13.32 2.63 0.24** -

Communication 13.85 2.73 0.04 0.43** -

Alienation 10.54 2.83 0.16** 0.04 -0.06 -

Internalization 25.16 4.00 0.22** 0.12* 0.10 -0.04 -

Symbolization 18.54 4.69 0.03 0.12* 0.009 0.13* 0.35** -

**P<0.01 *P<0.05

The partial portion of each predictor variable variables according to their relations with criterion
(attachment styles and moral identity) in changes of variable (strongest to weakest) entered to equation
self-esteem identified using multiple regressions respectively and the predictor variables which have
with step by step method. In this method, the not significant portion in increasing accuracy of
variables of subscales of attachment styles and prediction of criterion variable have not been
moral identity as predictor variables and self-esteem entered. The results have been shown in Table 2.
as criterion variable were assessed. The predictor

Table 2. Summary of multiple regressions with step by step method in parent dimensions, moral identity for
prediction of self-esteem
Variable Index
B t P R R2 R2 S.E F P

Model 1 0.22 0.05 0.04 7.79 13.51 0.001

Trust 0.47 0.22 3.71 0.001

Model 2 0.30 0.08 0.07 7.69 13.78 0.001

Internalization 0.44 0.20 3.53 0.001

Trust 0.67 0.18 3.14 0.001

Model 3 0.31 0.10 0.09 7.58 9.88 0.001

Internalization 0.41 0.19 3.32 0.001

Trust 0.65 0.18 3.12 0.007

Alienation -0.42 -0.13 -2.23 0.006

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SELF-ESTEEM BASED ON MORAL IDENTITY AND ATTACHMENT STYLES VAHEDI, YARI-SIS

The results of Table 2 indicate the great prediction they lead to positive self-conception (27). The
ability of attachment styles and moral identity in girl relationship between students' mental health and
students' self-esteem among all independent attachment styles has been assessed. In a study, 255
variables. According to the results of first phase it students and teachers responded to attachment styles
may be suggested that multiple correlation inventory and self-esteem scale. The results showed
coefficient (R=0.24) and explanation coefficient that individuals with safe attachment have higher
(R2=0.06 in level of F=0.001) are significant. It self-esteem compared to the unsafe individuals (5).
means that trust as a one dimensions of parent The results of Hustinger and Luechen study
attachment can explain 6% of common variance of indicated that college students with safe attachment
self-esteem. The results of second phase suggest the have higher self-esteem and better health behaviors
significance of multiple correlation coefficient compared to the unsafe individuals (6).
(R=0.30) and explanation coefficient (R2=0.009 in Another finding of the present study indicated that
level of F=0.001). It means that subscales of there is positive and significant relationship between
internalization and trust have 9% of common internalization and self-esteem. It may be suggested
variance with dependent variable. The results of that the relation between self-esteem and moral
third phase indicate the significance of multiple norms is a positive and creative interaction. The
correlation coefficient (R=0.34) and explanation person with high self-esteem observes moral norms
coefficient (R2=0.11 in level of F=0.001). It means and it may lead to enhancement of self-esteem.
that sum of predictor variables in this model Adolescents through using their intellectual skills
(internalization, trust and alienation) can explain find that there is difference between their act and
11% of variance of criterion variable. thoughts. Accordingly, they can concern different
Finally, based on the results of fourth phase, possibilities for behavior and thought and they are
addition of integration as one of the subscales of the disposed for dissatisfaction about themselves. In
religious identity increased 2% of self-esteem. So, another hand, it seems that adolescents who have
13% of self-esteem is predicted by sum of two informational identity usually achieve more success
dimensions of attachment and moral identity. and receive positive social feedbacks so they have
Overall, amongst all variables, greatest level of positive self-image and higher self-esteem but
explanation and prediction of self-esteem specified adolescents with confused/avoidant identity have
to trust. not chance for success achievement and positive
feedbacks and they have low self-esteem because
Discussion their closeness to new experiences (28).
The results of this research indicated the positive Although the present study provides evidences in
relation between trust and self-esteem while prediction of attachment styles and moral identity
alienation is significantly related to self-esteem with college students' self-esteem but there are some
negatively. People with safe attachment have limitations. One limitation is related to the sampling
positive internal models about themselves while among women students of Tabriz University. So, the
unsafe, anxious and bivalent individuals have results cannot be generalized to the other
negative internal models. Therefore, having positive populations. It is recommended that the researchers
self-image provide this possibility for individuals assess these relations among other populations.
with safe or avoidant attachment to have higher self- According to the results of this research, it is
esteem compared to anxious-bivalent persons, also recommended that authorities of universities
safe persons have balanced and integrated self- concern to the role of psychologists and consultants
structure. Self-esteem in safe individuals is more in enhancement of students mental health through
correlated with self-liking. It means that self- responding to their questions about self-esteem, aid
evaluation in safe persons is based on the positive to identification of available goals to motivate them
attention of others (26). Armsden and Greenberg for activities, training of appropriate social
(23) assessed the relation between attachment styles behaviors and promotion of religious mentality. In
and mental health in adolescents. They found that addition, the psychologists of consultancy centers of
there is significant relationship between universities should train appropriate educations to
psychological health and quality of attachment to the professors that they use occasional opportunities
parents. Safe adolescents have higher self-esteem in classrooms to guide their students. It is hoped that
compared to adolescents with unsafe attachment. It the results of the present study are effective in
seems that parents' acceptance and intimacy are cognition of college students problems and they help
involved in children's acceptance and efficacy and to problem solving among this age group through

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SELF-ESTEEM BASED ON MORAL IDENTITY AND ATTACHMENT STYLES VAHEDI, YARI-SIS

an appropriate planning. Based on the results of the present study, it can be

concluded that parental trust is the best and
Conclusion strongest predictor of self-esteem in female students.

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