Examining high school students perceptions of God from the framework of attachment theory

Attachment theory assumes that the type of relationship between the baby and the mother is of vital importance and has a permanent lifelong effect on personality. In attachment theory, it is generally seen that there are three different types of attachment: secure, ambivalent and avoidant attachment. When the perception of God is examined with attachment theory, it has been determined that there is a significant relationship between these two phenomena. Two basic hypotheses have been put forward on this subject; compensation and substitution hypothesis. The compensation hypothesis states that individuals who cannot establish a secure attachment with their parents tend to compensate for this deficiency by believing in a "loving, personal and accessible God". The substitution hypothesis states that the first established patterns in which the attachment relationship is permanent continue throughout life. The study examines the effects of attachment theory on high school students' perception of God. It was applied to 748 high school students in Diyarbakır. The Attachment to God Inventory, Adult Attachment Scale, Attachment to God Scale, Social Comparison Scale and a personal information form were applied to obtain socio-demographic information. The results obtained confirm our basic assumption, the substitution hypothesis. It was observed that individuals with secure attachment established a secure bond with God, while individuals with insecure attachment established an insecure bond with God. It was determined that socio-demographic factors had a significant effect on attachment to God. It was determined that women were more securely attached to God compared to men. It was observed that individuals with a democratic family attitude were more securely attached to God compared to individuals with an authoritarian attitude. As the frequency of prayer increases, the behaviors of secure attachment to God also increase. In addition, it was revealed that prayer reduces anxious and avoidant attachment styles and provides a more secure attachment to God. It was found that participants became more securely attached to God as their frequency of participation in religious groups increased.