Development, Refinement, and Psychometric Properties of the Attitudes Toward God Scale (ATGS-9)

Authors

Benjamin T. Wood
Everett L. Worthington
Julie Julia Exline
Ann Marie Yali
Jamie D. Aten, Wheaton College
Mark R. McMinn, George Fox UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2010

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.

Comments

Originally published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2(3), pages 148-167.

http://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0018753

Recommended Citation

Wood, Benjamin T.; Worthington, Everett L.; Exline, Julie Julia; Yali, Ann Marie; Aten, Jamie D.; and McMinn, Mark R., "Development, Refinement, and Psychometric Properties of the Attitudes Toward God Scale (ATGS-9)" (2010). Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program. 167.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gscp_fac/167