Styl więzi, empatia i kody moralne jako predyktory postaw względem zachowań seksualnych okresu dzieciństwa
Attachment Style, Empathy and Moral Foundations as Predictors of Attitudes Towards Sexual Behavior during Childhood

Summary/Abstract: The study explores the structure of adult (N = 170, Mage = 30) beliefs regarding the sexu­ality of preschool children (Ratkowska-Pasikowska, Pasikowski, 2013). Furthermore it evaluates the probable predictors of these beliefs: avoidance and anxiety dimensions of attachment, moral foundations and the levels of cognitive and affective empathy. Results show a two-factor differen­tiation of beliefs regarding children’s sexuality. Adults make a distinction between intrusive behav­iors, related to verbal aggression or potential violation of other people’s intimacy, and behaviors combining sexuality with curiosity and role-playing. The former category is generally less accepted than the latter. At the same time, higher level of cognitive empathy and a lower level of endorse­ment in the sphere of purity/sanctity as a foundation of moral evaluation, is a general predictor of higher acceptance of sexual behaviors in both categories. Higher level of attachment anxiety pre­dicts a higher acceptance of intrusive sexual behaviors, and a higher level of attachment avoidance predicts a lower acceptance of such behaviors. These results are discussed within the context of their importance for the future studies on childhood sexuality with parents as the potential inform­ants on behavior of their children.

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