1.Attachment and religious coping among South Asian Indian Christians Grace V. Kallimel

2. Outline Brief overview of India Attachment theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth) Attachment to God Correspondence theory Compensation theory Attachment and overall well-being Gaps in literature Hypothesis Method ParticipantsReligious coping Procedure Attachment and religious coping Measurements 3. Overview of India Demographics Size Population: 1,220,800,359 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013) Language Ethnicities Religion Hinduism (80.5%) Islam (13.4%) Christians (2.3%) Culture Collectivistic Male-dominated society (hierarchical order) Arranged marriage Spiritual orientation 4. Attachment Theory Bowlby (1979) any form of behavior that results in a person attempting or retaining proximity to some other differentiated and preferred individual, who is usually conceived as stronger and/or wiser. Although, it is most frequently and intensely displayed by infants and young children, it continues to be manifested throughout life, especially when distressed, ill, or afraid (p. 129). Ainsworth Uganda Strange situation 5. Attachment to God Correspondence theory Secure attachment to parent would lead to secure attachment with God. Compensation theory Conversion God as safe haven/surrogate 6. Attachment and well-being Anxiety attachment to God and others in particular is positively correlated to perceived stress and worry, whereas secure attachment is linked with lower stress (Bradshaw, 2010; Reiner et al., 2010). Correlation between attachment and depression, self-esteem, physical health, and trauma (e.g. Davis, Hook, & Worthingon, 2008; Maltby, 2011; Schottenbauer, 2006). 7. Religious Coping Positive coping strategies Benevolent view of God Sense of meaning Spiritual connectedness to God and others Negative coping strategies Insecure attachment to God See world as a dangerous place Spiritual struggle or tension 8. Attachment to God and Religious Coping Kirkpatrick & Rowatt (2004) saw a positive correlation between secure attachment to God and greater life satisfaction, lower anxiety, depression and physical ailments, in contrast with anxious attachment to God. Furthermore, secure attachment to God has also been negatively related to loneliness among women (Kirkpatrick, Shillito, & Kellas, 1999). 9. Gap in literature Limited studies on the link between attachment and religious coping. No empirical study on an Indian Christian population. Attachment is universal but culture impacts the way it develops and how it is defined. 10. Hypothesis Hypothesis 1. Secure parental attachment will be positively correlated with secure attachment to God in a Christian Indian sample after controlling for response bias. Hypothesis 2. Anxioustachment to parent is positively correlated with anxious attachment to God in a Christian Indian sample after controlling for response bias. Hypothesis 3. Avoidant attachment to parent is positively correlated with avoidant attachment to God in a Christian Indian sample after controlling for response bias. Hypothesis 4. Secure attachment to God predicts greater use of positive religious coping strategies. Hypothesis 6. Insecure and avoidant attachment predicts greater use of negative religious coping strategies. 11. Method India Christians (Bible College students & Church members) N=300 Online survey 12. Measures Demographic Questionnaire Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures Attachment to God Inventory The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding Brief RCOPE 13. References Belavich, T. G. & Pargament, K. I. (2002). The role of attachment in predicting spiritual coping with a loved one in surgery. Journal of Adult Development, 9(1), 1329.Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment. 2 ed. New York : Basic BooksBradshaw, M. P. (2010). Attachment to God, images of God, and psychological distress in a nationwide sample of Presbyterians. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 20(2), 130-147.Brenning, K. M., Soenens, B., Braet, C., & Bosmans, G. (2012). Attachment and depressive symptoms in middle childhood and early adolescence: Testing the validity of the emotion regulation model of attachment. Personal Relationships, 19(3), 445-464.Breidenstine, A. S., Bailey, L. O., Zeanah, C. H., & Larrieu, J. A. (2011). Attachment and trauma in early childhood: A review. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 4(4), 274-290. doi:10.1080/19361521.2011.609155Central Intelligence Agency. (2013, October 31). The world factbook: India. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/in.html 14. References Granqvist, P., and Hagekull, B. (2000). Religiosity, adult attachment, and why "singles are more religious. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 10(2), 111-123.Granqvist, P., & Kirkpatrick, L. A. (2004). Research:"Religious conversion and perceived childhood attachment: A meta-analysis". International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 14(4), 223-250.Granqvist, P. (2005). Building a bridge between attachment and religious coping: tests of moderators and mediators. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 8(1), 35-47. doi:10.1080/13674670410001666598Kelley, M. M., & Chan, K. T. (2012). Assessing the role of attachment to God, meaning, and religious coping as mediators in the grief experience. Death Studies, 36(3), 199-227. doi:10.1080/07481187.2011.553317Kirkpatrick, L.A. (1998). God as a substitute attachment figure: A longitudinal study of adult attachment style and religious change in college students. Personality and Social Psychological Bulletin, 24, 961-973. 15. References Kirkpatrick, L. A., Shillito, D. J., & Kellas, S. L. (1999). Loneliness, social support, and perceived relationships with God. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 513-522.Maltby, L. W. (2012). Trauma, Attachment, and Spirituality: A Case Study. Journal of Psychology & Theology, 40(4), 302-312.Meier, A. M., Carr, D. R., Currier, J. M., & Neimeyer, R. A. (2013). Attachment anxiety and avoidance in coping with bereavement: Two studies. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 32(3), 315-334. doi:10.1521/jscp.2013.32.3.315Nelson, M. O. (1971). The concept of God and feelings toward parents. Journal of Individual Psychology, 27, 46-49.Pargament K.I., Feuille, M. & Burdzy (2011), The Brief RCOPE: Current psychometric status of a short measure of religious coping. Religions, 2, 51-76. doi:10.3390/rel2010051Rowatt, W.C. & Kirkpatrick, L. A. (2002). Two dimensions of attachment to God and their relation to affect, religiosity, and personality constructs. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 41(4), 637-651.Vispoel, W. P., & Shuqin, T. (2013). A generalizability analysis of score consistency for the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding. Psychological Assessment, 25(1), 94-104. doi:10.1037/a0029061