Description

The Loving and Controlling God Scales (LCGS) are psychometric tools designed to assess individuals’ perceptions of the two main dimensions of the image of God: love and control. This scale examines how individuals view God as either a loving, supportive, and caring entity, or as a controlling and authoritarian figure. This assessment is important for understanding individuals’ religious experiences and spiritual health.

Purpose

The primary goal of the LCGS is to provide a reliable and valid means of assessing individuals’ perceptions of God. These tools help researchers and clinicians understand how different images of God affect psychological well-being, religious practices, and interpersonal relationships. Additionally, they can be used to study the relationship between perceptions of God and various psychological and social factors.

Analysis

The LCGS consists of two main dimensions:
Loving God Scale (LGS): Assesses an individual’s perception of God as a loving, supportive, and caring entity.
Example statements: “I believe that God loves me and cares for me.”
Controlling God Scale (CGS): Assesses an individual’s perception of God as an authoritarian, controlling, and dominating entity.
Example statements: “I believe that God controls every aspect of my life.”

Scoring

The scoring of the LCGS is done using Likert scales, where participants rate each statement on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Responses are collected and analyzed to produce overall scores for each dimension. Higher scores on the LGS indicate a stronger perception of God as a loving entity, while higher scores on the CGS indicate a stronger perception of God as a controlling entity.

References

Benson, P., & Spilka, B. (1973). God Image as a Function of Self-Esteem and Locus of Control. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 12(3), 297-310.
Lawrence, R. T. (1997). Measuring the image of God: The God Image Inventory and the God Image Scales. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 25(2), 214-226.
Rizzuto, A. M. (1979). The Birth of the Living God: A Psychoanalytic Study. University of Chicago Press.
Exline, J. J., & Rose, E. (2005). Religious and Spiritual Struggles. In R. F. Paloutzian & C. L. Park (Eds.), Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (pp. 315-330). Guilford Press.