The relationship of adult attachment styles and image of God in individuals

Kirkpatrick (1999) has set forth a "correspondence hypothesis" in which he argues that God is an attachment figure. This postulation is more than just an interesting analogy; it is a crucial construct that should provide a unique window into the psychological dimension of adult attachment and an individual's image of God. Kirkpatrick et al., (1999) further argue that an individual's perceived view of God meets all the criteria of an attachment relationship with its psychological dynamics. This study was designed to research Kirkpatrick's hypothesis by looking at the possible correlation between adult attachment styles and an individual's image of God. One measure assessed the adult attachment style, and four measures assessed the image of God. Two additional scales were constructed to measure the individual's image of God. The research sample consisted of 399 individuals recruited from a predominately Protestant Christian population. The study demonstrates Kirkpatrick's hypothesis. The results suggest the fruitfulness of the attachment figure paradigm when investigating an individual's picture of God. Within the literature review of this dissertation, a tentative theory regarding how to understand the complex and multidimensional nature of an image of God will be stated.