Description

The God Image Inventory (GII) is a psychometric tool designed to assess individuals’ images and perceptions of God. This scale examines how individuals perceive God across various dimensions such as love, power, closeness, and justice. The GII provides a comprehensive evaluation of individuals’ feelings and thoughts about God, offering deep insights into their spiritual perceptions.

Objective

The main objective of the GII is to provide a reliable and valid tool for evaluating images and perceptions of God. This tool helps researchers and clinicians understand how these perceptions affect individuals’ psychological well-being, spirituality, interpersonal relationships, and overall quality of life.

Analysis

The GII consists of a series of statements that assess various aspects of individuals’ images of God. The primary dimensions commonly examined include:
Love and Care
Assesses the perception of God as a source of love and care.
Example statements: “I feel that God loves me and cares for me.”
Power and Authority
Assesses the perception of God as an all-powerful and authoritative being.
Example statements: “I believe that God has absolute power and control over the world.”
Closeness and Personal Relationship
Assesses the sense of an individual having a close and personal relationship with God.
Example statements: “I feel close to God and can communicate with Him personally.”
Justice and Punishment
Assesses the perception of God as just and punitive.
Example statements: “I believe that God is just and punishes evil.”

Scoring

The scoring of the GII 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 generate total scores for each dimension of the image of God. Higher scores indicate stronger or more positive perceptions of God in the corresponding dimension.

Bibliography

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.
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.
Rizzuto, A. M. (1979). The Birth of the Living God: A Psychoanalytic Study. University of Chicago Press.
Hall, T. W., Fujikawa, A., Halcrow, S. R., Hill, P. C., & Delaney, H. (2009). Attachment to God and implicit spirituality: Clarifying correspondence and compensation models. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 37(4), 227-244.