Moralization of attachment: a fourth domain of conscience functioning

To define discrete developmental levels of understanding regarding the ways in which normal children and adolescents link remembered and current attachment experiences to their moral belief system and to study the correlation between this progression and previously identified stages of conscience conceptualization.

Using the moralization of attachment section from the semistructured Stilwell Conscience Interview, 132 normal volunteers between the ages of 5 and 17 years were individually interviewed. Analysis of the interviews resulted in five levels of understanding.

By analyses of variance and covariance, the five attachment levels showed significant correlation with the five conceptualization stages. Conceptualization stage showed a stronger correlation than age.

In normal development, moralization of attachment is a domain of conscience functioning which follows a five-level hierarchical developmental progression; first, the child's sense of security and empathic responsiveness become paired with a sense of moral obligation; caretaker rules are then incorporated; an understanding of how empathy modifies strict rule-following develops; idols and ideals are chosen that reflect earlier learning in attachment relationships; finally, a visualization of the self as moral standard-bearer or teacher unfolds.