Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and grit

The current study examined the relationships among adverse childhood experiences, self-reported religiosity, grit score and attachment to God. Participants were undergraduate students at a private, Christian university. Participants completed the Attachment to God (ATG) Inventory, the Grit Inventory...

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Main Authors: Jennifer L. Thomson, Valerie A. Lemmon, Abigail C.E. Poh, Simonie R. Grabowski, JoHannah G. Newman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Social Sciences and Humanities Open
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125002529
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author Jennifer L. Thomson
Valerie A. Lemmon
Abigail C.E. Poh
Simonie R. Grabowski
JoHannah G. Newman
author_facet Jennifer L. Thomson
Valerie A. Lemmon
Abigail C.E. Poh
Simonie R. Grabowski
JoHannah G. Newman
author_sort Jennifer L. Thomson
collection DOAJ
description The current study examined the relationships among adverse childhood experiences, self-reported religiosity, grit score and attachment to God. Participants were undergraduate students at a private, Christian university. Participants completed the Attachment to God (ATG) Inventory, the Grit Inventory, the Duke University Religious Index (DUREL), and the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire. Avoidant ATG was found to be negatively correlated with all three subscales of the DUREL while anxious ATG was negatively correlated with non-organized religious activity. Anxious ATG was positively correlated with overall scores on the ACEs inventory as well as with scores on the abuse subscale. Grit was found to be negatively correlated with both avoidant and anxious ATG. In conclusion, adverse childhood experiences may influence an individual’s relationship with God leading to insecure attachment. Individuals with an anxious ATG style may view stressors in life as a result of abandonment from God resulting in the use of fewer functional coping strategies and less grit. Individuals with a secure ATG may be more likely to find meaning amid their suffering resulting in greater motivation to persevere when faced with hardships, hence reporting higher levels of grit.
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spelling doaj-art-1292de6b34cc49f89afe248700bb6c852025-08-20T03:23:02ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112025-01-011110152410.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101524Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and gritJennifer L. Thomson0Valerie A. Lemmon1Abigail C.E. Poh2Simonie R. Grabowski3JoHannah G. Newman4Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology, Messiah University, United States; Corresponding author. Messiah University, One University Avenue, Suite 3052, Mechanicsburg, PA, 17055, United States.Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology, Messiah University, United StatesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, UKDepartment of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, United StatesDepartment of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Lock Haven University, United StatesThe current study examined the relationships among adverse childhood experiences, self-reported religiosity, grit score and attachment to God. Participants were undergraduate students at a private, Christian university. Participants completed the Attachment to God (ATG) Inventory, the Grit Inventory, the Duke University Religious Index (DUREL), and the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire. Avoidant ATG was found to be negatively correlated with all three subscales of the DUREL while anxious ATG was negatively correlated with non-organized religious activity. Anxious ATG was positively correlated with overall scores on the ACEs inventory as well as with scores on the abuse subscale. Grit was found to be negatively correlated with both avoidant and anxious ATG. In conclusion, adverse childhood experiences may influence an individual’s relationship with God leading to insecure attachment. Individuals with an anxious ATG style may view stressors in life as a result of abandonment from God resulting in the use of fewer functional coping strategies and less grit. Individuals with a secure ATG may be more likely to find meaning amid their suffering resulting in greater motivation to persevere when faced with hardships, hence reporting higher levels of grit.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125002529GritACESAttachment to GodReligiosity
spellingShingle Jennifer L. Thomson
Valerie A. Lemmon
Abigail C.E. Poh
Simonie R. Grabowski
JoHannah G. Newman
Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and grit
Social Sciences and Humanities Open
Grit
ACES
Attachment to God
Religiosity
title Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and grit
title_full Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and grit
title_fullStr Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and grit
title_full_unstemmed Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and grit
title_short Relationship among attachment to God, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences, and grit
title_sort relationship among attachment to god religiosity adverse childhood experiences and grit
topic Grit
ACES
Attachment to God
Religiosity
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125002529
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