The Modulating Effect Of Chinese Christian God's Attachment In Adult Attachment And Self-esteem

God attachment is a hot topic in religion psychology about Christians. God attachment is a kind of attachment between the Christians and the God, which is similar to that of infants and parents. Christians consider God as providing a haven of safety, see God as a secure base of explorative behavior, seek help from God when difficulties and maintain proximity with God.This study combines quantitative questionnaire survey and qualitative in-depth interviews. The quantitative research focus on three topics:1)the characteristics of God attachment; 2)the relationship between Chinese Christian God attachment, adult attachment and self-esteem; 3) the moderating effect of God attachment between adult attachment and self-esteem. The specific research process is divided into two stages:First, revision of Chinese version of God attachment inventory(AGI);Second, questionnaire survey. In the quantitative study, based on God attachment inventory (AGI), Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory (ECR) and Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, a total of 400 questionnaires were distributed, and 348 questionnaires were returned. The results are as follow:(1) Both anxiety and avoidance dimension of God attachment in "church attendance", "Bible reading" and "prayer frequency" have significant difference, Christians who do more religious commitment (eg. "church attendance", "Bible reading" and "prayer frequency") have lower anxiety and avoidance of God attachment. Both dimension of God attachment have no significant difference in "gender"and "level of education", and have no significant correlation in "age" and "conversion years ".(2) There is a significant positive correlation between anxiety dimension of God attachment and anxiety dimension of adult attachment and between avoidance dimension of God attachment and avoidance dimension of adult attachment; There is a significant negative correlation between self-esteem and the both 2 dimensions of God attachment and between self-esteem and the both 2 dimensions of adult attachment.(3)Anxiety of adult attachment, anxiety of God attachment and avoidance of God attachment respectively have significant negative predictive effect on self-esteem.(4)Anxiety of God attachment plays an moderating role between anxiety of adult attachment and self-esteem.Qualitative in-depth interviews have been conducted to explore the characteristics of God attachment among Chinese Christians and operation details about the moderating effect of God attachment between adult attachment and self-esteem. The results are as follows:(1) Chinese Christians' attachment to God is mainly reflected in three aspects: "God imagine", "Relationship with God" and "Self evaluation under God imagine and Relationship with God".(2) The relationship between the adult attachment and self-esteem is moderated by the attachment to God. Self evaluation will change from "self centered" to "God centered" after establishment of the relationship between man and God. Along with the change of self evaluation, "secular self-esteem" is transformed into a combination of "secular self-esteem" and "theological self-esteem"(i.e., faith in God). It is also worth noting that "theological self-esteem" also has influence to "secular self-esteem".