Development, Refinement, and Psychometric Properties of the Attitudes Toward God Scale (ATGS-9)
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2010
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Perceived relationships with God can be a source of comfort or struggle. To advance the study of spiritual comfort and struggle, we develop the nine-item Attitudes toward God Scale (ATGS-9), and we describe six studies (2,992 total participants) reporting its development and psychometrics. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified two factors: (1) Positive Attitudes toward God and (2) Disappointment and Anger with God. Subscale scores showed good estimated internal consistency, 2-week temporal stability, and evidence for construct and discriminant validity. Positive Attitudes toward God correlated with measures of religiosity and conscientiousness. Disappointment and Anger with God correlated with negative religious coping, lower religious participation, more distress, higher neuroticism, and entitlement. These results support the ATGS-9 as a brief measure of attitudes toward God.
Publication Title
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
Volume
2
Issue
3
First Page
148
Last Page
167
Recommended Citation
Wood, B. T.,
Worthington, E. L.,
Exline, J. J.,
Yali, A. M.,
Aten, J. D.,
McMinn, M. R.
(2010). Development, Refinement, and Psychometric Properties of the Attitudes Toward God Scale (ATGS-9). Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2(3), 148-167.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/791