| Recent improvement in the psychology of religion by Ana-Maria Rizzuto and others has established the distinction between the God concept and the God image. The God image is a personal psychological representation of God with deep roots in the images of early primary caregivers and a critical relationship to the self image.;This dissertation reviews and critiques previous attempts to measure the meaning of the word 'God,' and then establishes a theoretical base for the measurement of the God image, building on the work of Rizzuto, McDargh, Philibert and others. Six dimensions for measurement, Presence, Challenge, Acceptance, Benevolence, Influence, and Providence, are established. Each dimension is measured by a four-point Likert scale composed of 22 items, equally balanced between positive and negative statements. Two additional control scales, Faith and Salience, are composed of 12 items each.;Development is traced from creation of an item pool to the finalization of the Inventory. Reliability and factor analysis results are presented. Reliabilities range from.87 to.96. Validity is established by correlations with established instruments measuring related constructs.;Standards for the adult American population, based on a nationally representive sample (N = 1580) are presented. A single set of standards is shown to be appropriate regardless of sex, age, marital status, education, or Christian denomination. Further work to establish standards for African American and Jewish subjects, as well as smaller racial and religious minorities is recommended, however, because of score differences and small subpopulation representation in the national sample.;Case studies are presented to suggest pastoral and clinical uses. A shorter form, the God Image Scales, is presented for research use. GIS scales are 12 items long each, and reliabilities range from.81 to.95.;Research use of the Inventory or the Scales by qualified scholars is authorized and encouraged. Individual administration and interpretation of the Inventory is restricted, and such use of the Scales is forbidden. Suggestions are offered for further research. |
