Date of Award

1990

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Art

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Patrick Openlander

Second Advisor

Phyllis Terry Friedman

Third Advisor

Mary Anne Reichelt

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of an individual's self-concept to their concept of God. Subjects were 62 volunteer undergraduate and graduate students from Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri. Subjects were administered the Spilka God-Image Semantic Differential and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients were obtained utilizing the scores of 60 subjects with valid scoring as well as with the scores of 31 1 subjects whose self-concept was above the mean. When the scores of all 60 subjects were used, there was one significant correlation between the loving God scale and the moral-ethical self subscale on the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. The controlling God concept significantly correlated positively with the total conflict subscale and negatively with the psychological harmony total, physical, and moral-ethical subscales. When the 31 subjects whose self concept was positive, as indicated by their scores being above the mean, were used, there were further significant correlations. The loving God scale correlated significantly with the total positive self-concept, identity, behavior, moral-ethical self, and social self, The controlling God concept correlated significantly and negatively with the total positive self-concept, identity, self-satisfaction, and moral-ethical self. Further research is needed to develop a more extensive instrument to measure an individual's concept of God.

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