Virtues Develop from a Secure Base: Attachment and Resilience as Predictors of Humility, Gratitude, and Forgiveness

Abstract

Little research has explored the role of attachment in predicting virtues. In the present study, we provide an initial investigation testing the theory that virtues develop from having secure attachment relationships and the ability to bounce back from adversity. Specifically, we examined attachment and ego resilience as predictors of humility, gratitude and forgiveness. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses on a community sample of 245 participants found that both attachment and resilience were significant predictors of humility, gratitude, and forgiveness, even after controlling for religiosity. These results indicate the importance of the role of attachment and resilience in the development of virtues.