Attachment experiences and moral development: the mediating role of alexithymia and emotional regulation skills in a sample of young women

The present study investigated the mediating roles of alexithymia and emotional dysregulation in the relationship between attachment styles (secure, preoccupied, dismissing, fearful) and moral disengagement among young adult women. While existing research separately links insecure attachment with emotional difficulties and moral disengagement, integrated empirical analyses considering these relationships simultaneously remain scarce. Participants included 447 female young adults aged 19–25, assessed via validated instruments: attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships [ECR), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale [TAS-20]), emotional dysregulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale [DERS]), and moral disengagement (Moral Disengagement Scale [MDS]). Homogeneity Analysis (HOMALS) revealed distinct patterns associating secure attachment with lower levels of emotional difficulties and moral disengagement, while insecure attachment styles (preoccupied, dismissing, fearful) clustered with heightened emotional challenges and higher moral disengagement. Mediation analyses employing bootstrapped PROCESS macro confirmed significant indirect effects: secure attachment negatively predicted moral disengagement through both lower alexithymia and emotional dysregulation. Preoccupied attachment influenced moral disengagement primarily via emotional dysregulation, while dismissing attachment did so predominantly through alexithymia. Fearful attachment uniquely influenced moral disengagement through both alexithymia and emotional dysregulation. These findings provide novel insights by clearly delineating the emotional pathways through which attachment styles influence moral disengagement. Highlighting specific emotional mediators, our results extend existing literature by emphasizing the critical role of integrated emotional competencies in moral development among young adults. Practical implications suggest targeted interventions enhancing emotional skills to mitigate moral disengagement risks associated with insecure attachments.