Attachment to God: Differentiating the Contributions of Fathers and Mothers Using the Experiences in Parental Relationships Scale

Abstract

Research on attachment to God has suggested that relationships with primary caregivers are reenacted in the type of attachment relationship experienced with God. However, this research is limited by the language used to investigate the constructs of interest as well as a lack of differentiation of the contribution of attachment to fathers and attachment to mothers independently. Thus, the primary purpose of the current study was to investigate the independent contributions of attachment to mother, attachment to father, and attachment to romantic partners on attachment to God. In addition, the study examined the association between attachment to God and spiritual well-being using a sample not chosen for religious characteristics (and thus, more generalizable). Attachment to fathers predicted attachment to God. Moreover, attachment to God predicted both religious and existential well-being.