Assessment Scoring and Interpretation Packet

Assessment Scoring and Interpretation Packet

Attachment to God Inventory (AGI) Scoring Sheet: Transfer each item rating to the appropriate box. Reverse score those with an R (1=7, 2=6, 3=5, 4=4, 5=3, 6=2, & 7=1). Add up the sum for each column. Then compute the column average by dividing by 14. Question/Item Anxiety Over Abandonment (Odd Items) Avoidance of Intimacy with God (Even Items) 1. I worry a lot about my relationship with God. 2. I just don t feel a deep need to be close to God. 3. If I can t see God working in my life, I get upset or angry. 4. I am totally dependent upon God for everything in my life. R 5. I am jealous at how God seems to care more for others than for me. 6. It is uncommon for me to cry when sharing with God. 7. Sometimes I feel that God loves others more than me. 8. My experiences with God are very intimate and emotional. R 9. I am jealous at how close some people are to God. 10. I prefer not to depend too much on God. 11. I often worry about whether God is pleased with me. 12. I am uncomfortable being emotional in my communication with God. 13. Even if I fail, I never question that God is pleased with me. R 14. My prayers to God are often matter-of-fact and not very personal. 15. Almost daily I feel that my relationship with God goes back and forth from hot to cold. 16. I am uncomfortable with emotional displays of affection to God. 17. I fear God does not accept me when I do wrong. 18. Without God I couldn t function at all. R 19. I often feel angry with God for not responding to me when I want. 20. I believe people should not depend on God for things they should do for themselves. 21. I crave reassurance from God that God loves me. 22. Daily I discuss all of my problems and concerns with God. R 23. I am jealous when others feel God s presence when I cannot. 24. I am uncomfortable allowing God to control every aspect of my life. 25. I worry a lot about damaging my relationship with God. 26. My prayers to God are very emotional. R 27. I get upset when I feel God helps out others, but forgets about me. 28. I let God make most of the decisions in my life. R SUM FOR EACH COLUMN / 14 / 14 AVERAGE FOR EACH COLUMN (Divide Column Sum by 14)

Attachment to God Inventory (AGI; Beck & McDonald, 2004) Interpretation Sheet Purpose: This inventory is meant to measure a person s global attachment tendencies in relationship with God (i.e., their attachment style with God). The Client s Scores: Attachment Anxiety: Attachment Avoidance: Low = below 4 (4 is the average, so the further away from 4, the more pronounced) High = above 4 (4 is the average, so the further away from 4, the more pronounced) High Avoidance of Intimacy with God = Avoidant Attachment to God: Beck and McDonald (2004), the creators of the AGI, offered the following descriptions of the themes that characterize the attachment tendencies of persons with a highly avoidant attachment to God: Avoidance of Intimacy with God involves themes such as a need for self-reliance, a difficulty with depending upon God, and unwillingness to be emotionally intimate with God (p. 94). High Anxiety over Abandonment = Anxious Attachment to God: In comparison, they offered the following descriptions of the themes that characterize the attachment tendencies of persons with a highly anxious attachment to God: Anxiety over Abandonment involves themes such as the fear of potential abandonment by God, angry protest (resentment or frustration at God s lack of perceived affection), jealousy over God s seemingly differential intimacy with others, anxiety over one s lovability in God s eyes, and, finally, preoccupation with or worry concerning one s relationship with God (Beck & McDonald, 2004, p. 94). Low Avoidance, Low Anxiety = Secure Attachment to God: Persons with both low attachment avoidance and low attachment anxiety in their relationship with God tend to feel comfortable relying on God, trusting God, and seeking intimacy with God. They also tend to exhibit an overall adequate capacity for emotional tolerance, such being able to effectively cope with and tolerate the times when God feels distant or unaffectionate. Persons with a secure attachment to God do not tend to get jealous of the relationship that God has with other people. They tend to feel lovable in God s eyes and do not tend to exhibit excessive preoccupation with or worry concerning their relationship with God.

God Adjective Checklist (GAC) Scoring Sheet: For each trait-adjective, transfer the Column A and Column B ratings. Calculate the head/heart discrepancy by subtracting the Column B rating from the Column A rating. For each scale, sum all the discrepancies, divide that sum by the number of items in the scale, and record the average head/heart discrepancy. Adjective Column A (Head Knowledge) Column B (Heart Knowledge) Head/Heart Discrepancy (A-B) Sum Head/Heart Discrepancy Severe Negative Unfair General Unkind Close Positive Loving Intimate Warm Intimate Forgetful Negative Inconsistent Unreliable Silent Unreliable Understanding Positive Caring Supportive Patient Comforting Weak Negative Absent Theological Ignorant Compassionate Positive Fair General Kind Cold Negative Distant Distant Unapproachable Indifferent Dependable Positive Faithful Reliable Reliable Trustworthy Critical Negative Harsh Rejecting Unsympathetic Unforgiving All-knowing Positive All-powerful All-present Theological the # of Items Average Head/Heart Discrepancy

God Adjective Checklist (GAC; Zahl & Gibson, 2008) Interpretation Sheet Purpose: This checklist is meant to help compare the client s theological beliefs about God to their actual personal experience of God. That is, it is intended to be used to compare a person s head knowledge of God to their heart knowledge of God, with reference to a variety of potential attributes of God positive and negative. Positive Dimensions The Client s Scores on the Scales of the GAC: God s Emotional Closeness With Oneself (Positive Intimate): God s Emotional Supportiveness (Positive Supportive): God s General Positive Attributes (Positive General): God s Reliability and Trustworthiness (Positive Reliable): God s Positive Attributes from a Theological Standpoint (Positive Theological): Negative Dimensions God s General Negative Attributes (Negative General): God s Unreliability and Inconsistency (Negative Unreliable): God s Negative Attributes From a Theological Standpoint (Negative Theological): God s Emotional Distance From Oneself (Negative Distant): God s Criticalness Toward Oneself (Negative Rejecting): If the average discrepancy on a scale is greater than 0, then the general interpretation is: - Head knowledge is stronger than heart knowledge on that scale. If the average discrepancy on a scale is greater than 0, then the general interpretation is: - Heart knowledge is stronger than head knowledge on that scale. If there is no average discrepancy on a scale, then the general interpretation is: - Head knowledge and heart knowledge are equally as strong on that scale. Research Findings (Zahl & Gibson, 2008): On the positive dimensions, head knowledge tended to be stronger than heart knowledge. On the negative dimensions, heart knowledge tended to be stronger than head knowledge.

The four scales where people tend to have the largest head/heart discrepancies are: Positive Intimate, Negative Distant, Positive General, and Negative General. Thus, in your interpretation, focus particular attention on these scales. Insecure attachment tends to positively predict degree of head/heart discrepancy on the Negative Distant and Negative General scales. Thus, see the client s AGI scores. Insecure attachment tends to negatively predict degree of head/heart discrepancy on the Positive Intimate and Positive General scales. Thus, see the client s AGI scores.

Life Story Questionnaire Transfer each item rating to the appropriate line. 1) Emotional tone (overall): 2) Emotional tone (next): 3) Coherence: 4) Head-Heart Discrepancy: