False Self Scale – Relationship with God (FSS-RG-7)

Introduction

The False Self Scale – Relationship with God (FSS-RG-7) is a brief self-report psychometric instrument designed to assess the extent to which individuals experience a lack of authenticity in their relationship with God. The scale evaluates whether people suppress their genuine thoughts, emotions, doubts, or personal struggles in their spiritual life, instead presenting an idealized or socially desirable image of themselves before God. It is primarily used in the psychology of religion, pastoral counseling, and spiritual well-being research.

Description

The FSS-RG-7 consists of seven items that assess key aspects of authenticity in one’s relationship with God, including:

  • Concealing genuine thoughts or emotions from God.
  • Fear of spiritual inadequacy or divine disapproval.
  • Presenting an idealized spiritual identity.
  • Difficulty expressing doubts, weaknesses, or failures.
  • Authenticity and openness in personal spirituality.

Items are typically rated using a Likert-type response scale, with higher scores indicating greater false-self presentation in the individual’s relationship with God.

Purpose

The FSS-RG-7 is designed to:

  • Assess authenticity in one’s relationship with God.
  • Measure false-self tendencies in spiritual life.
  • Examine associations between spirituality and psychological well-being.
  • Support research in the psychology of religion and pastoral care.
  • Evaluate interventions promoting authentic spiritual growth.

Administration

The questionnaire is self-administered and generally requires 2–5 minutes to complete. It is appropriate for adolescents and adults from Christian backgrounds and can be administered in clinical, educational, pastoral, and research settings.

Scoring

Each item is scored according to the response scale, and item scores are summed or averaged to produce an overall score. Higher scores indicate greater false-self behavior, reflecting a tendency to hide authentic thoughts, emotions, or experiences in one’s perceived relationship with God.

Interpretation

Higher FSS-RG-7 scores suggest lower spiritual authenticity and greater reliance on an idealized religious self-image. Lower scores indicate a more genuine, open, and authentic relationship with God, characterized by acceptance of personal strengths, weaknesses, and spiritual struggles.

Statistical Analysis

The psychometric evaluation of the FSS-RG-7 commonly includes:

  • Descriptive statistics.
  • Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha).
  • Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA/CFA).
  • Test–retest reliability.
  • Convergent and discriminant validity.
  • Correlation and regression analyses.
  • Group comparisons (t-test, ANOVA).

These analyses are used to evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the instrument across different religious populations.

Applications

The FSS-RG-7 is widely used in:

  • Psychology of religion.
  • Spiritual well-being research.
  • Pastoral counseling.
  • Christian counseling.
  • Clinical psychology.
  • Faith-based intervention studies.

Advantages

  • Brief and easy to administer.
  • Focuses specifically on authenticity in one’s relationship with God.
  • Applicable in both research and pastoral care.
  • Contributes to the understanding of spiritual identity and psychological well-being.

Limitations

As a self-report instrument, responses may be influenced by social desirability, personal religious beliefs, denominational differences, and cultural context. The scale should be interpreted alongside complementary measures of spirituality, religious commitment, and mental health.

References

Hall, T. W. (2004). Christian Spirituality and Mental Health: A Relational Spirituality Framework.

Krause, N. (2002). Church-Based Social Support and Religious Coping.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2003). On Assimilating Identities to the Self: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Internalization and Integrity within Cultures.

Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A Multicomponent Conceptualization of Authenticity: Theory and Research.