Moderating Role Of Socioeconomic Status In Secured Attachment Style And Tendency To Commit Crime

Abstract

The study investigated how socioeconomic status influenced the association between secure attachment style and the tendency to commit crime among undergraduates. The participants were 295 undergraduates from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka. The participants' ages ranged from 17 to 43 years, with a mean of 21.96 and a standard deviation of 3.18. Data were collected using three instruments: Animsahun's (2011) Crime Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS), Feeney and Noller's (1994) Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and Obi-Nwosu et al.'s (2018) Socioeconomic Wellbeing Scale (SEW). The study used a moderation predictive design, and the PROCESS Macro Model was employed for data analysis. Hypothesis one was confirmed. Hypothesis two was confirmed, and moderation result revealed a moderate positive effect on tendency to commit crime. It was suggested that university administration implement a job study program to help undergraduates meet some of their demands and reduce their proclivity to commit crimes.