ATTACHMENT TO GOD : EXAMINING THE COMPENSATION AND CORRESPONDENCE HYPOTHESES

Abstract

The present study used attachment theory as a theoretical framework for understanding religiosity. Among 185 undergraduate psychology students, a new construct called "attachment to God," covering the affective/ cognitive aspect of religiosity was proposed. A reliable and valid measure was developed to explicate it. Relationships between childhood parental variables and attachment to God were examined, taking into account of the effects of current parental variables. Results here supported the compensation hypothesis, but only with respect to relationship between childhood mother attachment and current God attachment. The study also investigated whether reorganization of the general model of self and others occurs when insecure individuals formed secure attachments. Results here suggest that the dynamics of attachment occur at the person-specific level rather than at the general level. The study as a whole demonstrated the need for attachment research to take into account time factors, to specify the aspect of religiosity being examined and the particular attachment relationships being examined.