Date of Award

6-16-1987

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine whether an Authoritative parenting style by a woman's father has an effect on her Concept of God and Spiritual Well-being. The Children's Report of Parent's Behavior Inventory (CRPBI), two Concept of God scales, and the Spiritual Well-being scale were given to a randomly chosen sample of 200 women from Messiah College. A total of 127 women responded to the questionnaire.

It was hypothesized that there would be significant relationships between the three scores derived from the CRPBI (Acceptance vs. Rejection, Psychological Autonomy vs. Psychological Control, and Firm Discipline vs. Lax Discipline) and the number of years father was absent (0 to 16) with Spiritual Well-being, Existential Well-being, Religious Well-being, and the Concept of God scales (Wrathful, Traditional Christian, Kindness, Omniness, Deisticness, Loving God, and Controlling God).

It was also hypothesized that a weighted linear combination of the three scores from the CRPBI and the number of years father was absent from the home would account for greater variance in Spiritual Well-being and Concept of God than single correlations between the scores.

The data was tested by Multiple Regressions. Father Acceptance was related to Spiritual Well-being, Existential Well-being, Religious Well-being, and God as Kind and Loving. Psychological Control negatively related to Spiritual Well-being, Existential Well-being, Religious Well-being, God as loving, and positively related to viewing God as Wrathful and Controlling. Lax Discipline and Father Absence were not related to any of the Spiritual Well-being or Concept of God variables.

A weighted combination of the three scores on the CRPBI, and father absence did not account for greater variance on Spiritual Well-being and its subscales, or the Concept of God scales.

Many factors enter into the development of a view of God, a sense of well-being about a relationship with Him, and a sense of satisfaction with life. This research indicates that fathers play a significant role in this development.

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