The Relationship between Identity Styles and Attachment Styles with Religious Commitment: The Mediating Role of Family Functioning

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate and analyze the level of religious commitment among female students, considering the influence of attachment styles, identity styles, and family functioning. The research employed the structural equation modeling method. The statistical population consisted of students from Al-Zahra University, with 387 participants selected using non-random available sampling, including 287 single and 31 married individuals.According to the findings of this research, there is a positive and significant relationship between informational, normative, and commitment identity styles with religious commitment, with correlation coefficients of r = 0.283, r = 0.552, and r = 0.396 respectively (p ≤ 0.05). The dimensions of family functioning also show a positive and significant relationship with religious commitment, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.453. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship was found between secure attachment style and religious commitment, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.410. Conversely, avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles exhibit significant negative relationships with religious commitment, with correlation coefficients of r = -0.283, r = -0.254, and r = -0.252 respectively (p ≤ 0.05).Based on these findings, it can be concluded that identity styles and attachment styles have an impact on the level of religious commitment among female students, with family functioning mediating this relationship. ‌Keywords Identity, Attachment, Female Students, Religious Commitment, Family ‌‌IntroductionReligion is a profoundly significant phenomenon with profound effects on human life. Commitment and belonging to religion lead to positive changes in a person's life, including increased life satisfaction, happiness, and overall health.One component closely related to religious commitment is identity styles. Various classifications exist in this regard, with two prominent examples being those of Berzonsky and Marcia. Marcia categorizes identity into four types: achieved, foreclosed, confused, and diffused. Berzonsky, on the other hand, categorizes identity as informational, normative, and diffuse/avoidant.Attachment styles, another aspect investigated in this research concerning religious commitment, originate from attachment theory developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth in 1992. This theory categorizes attachment into two main styles: secure and insecure. Insecure attachment is further divided into three categories: avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized (Mamarian et al., 1991).Furthermore, religiosity is believed to enhance family functioning. According to Islamic teachings, an efficient family is one where members are committed to religious beliefs, Islamic laws, and ethics, fostering the nurturing and discovery of individuals' talents. This research aims to investigate the relationships between various attachment and identity styles and their impact on religious commitment, with family functioning serving as a potential mediator. MethodologyThe method used in this research is descriptive correlational structural equation modeling (path analysis). The target statistical population in this research includes students of Al-Zahra University (approximately 9,400 people). A sample of 318 individuals was selected using non-random sampling (availability sampling). The software used for analysis in this research included SPSS 26 and Amos 26. The tools used in this research included the religious commitment questionnaire by Jan-Borzuri, Berzonsky's identity style questionnaire, and Collins and Reed's adult attachment style questionnaire. FindingsBased on the results obtained, the relationship between informational identity style, normative identity style, and commitment identity style with religious commitment is positive, with values of r = 0.283, r = 0.552, and r = 0.396, respectively. These relationships are significant (p < 0.05). However, the relationship between avoidant identity style and religious commitment is not statistically significant (p ≥ 0.05).Furthermore, the relationship between dimensions of family functioning and religious commitment, with a value of r = 0.453, is positive and meaningful. Additionally, the relationship between secure attachment style and religious commitment, with r = 0.410, is positive and significant. On the other hand, the relationships between avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles with religious commitment, with values of r = 0.283 and r = 0.254, respectively, are significant. The negative relationship with r = -0.252 is also significant (p ≥ 0.05). It should be noted that the correlation matrix between the variables is significant at the p < 0.01 level.Based on the results obtained, the direct effect of secure attachment style on family functioning (0.36), avoidant attachment style on family functioning (-0.15), and ambivalent attachment style on family functioning (-0.20) is statistically significant. Similarly, the direct effect of secure attachment style on religious commitment (0.27) and family functioning on religious commitment (0.35) is also significant.Regarding the direct effects of identity styles and commitment on family functioning, it was found that the direct effect of informational identity style and commitment on family functioning was not significant. However, the direct effects of normative identity style and avoidant identity style on family functioning are statistically significant, with coefficients of 0.31 and -0.24, respectively.Moreover, the direct effect of normative identity style on religious commitment (0.47) was found to be significant. Conversely, the direct effects of avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles and commitment on religious commitment were not significant. Non-significant paths were consequently removed from the equation to improve the model fit. In all significant paths, the absolute values of t exceed ±1.96, indicating the significance of these paths. Sobel's test was employed to ascertain the significance of the relationship between the pattern of religious commitment based on attachment style and the mediation of family functioning. ResultIn this research, these two questions were addressed, revealing that avoidant and normative identity styles exert a reverse effect, while others have a direct impact on an individual's religious adherence. Additionally, the secure attachment style plays a direct and indirect role, mediated by family functioning, whereas avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles exhibit a negative and significant relationship solely through mediation by family functioning.Thus, it should be emphasized that the family serves as the most crucial foundation for fostering self-awareness and psychological well-being in individuals. When the family fulfills its function effectively, it enables the individuals it nurtures to experience inner peace, stemming from the family serving as a secure base where their emotional needs can be met.‌ ReferencesAkbari, H. & Abdeyousefkhani, Z. (2014). Examining the relationship between religious commitment and life satisfaction. 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Keywords

• identity
• attachment
• female students
• religious commitment
• family