“WHY DID YOU MAKE ME DO THAT?” ANGER AT GOD IN THE CONTEXT OF MORAL TRANSGRESSION
Institution: | Case Western Reserve University |
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Department: | Psychology |
Degree: | MA |
Year: | 2012 |
Keywords: | Experimental Psychology; Health Care; Pastoral Counseling; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Religion; Religious Congregations; Social Research; Sociology; RELIGION; SPIRITUALITY; GOD; TRANSGRESSION; ANGER; RELIGIOSITY; DEITY |
Record ID: | 1968853 |
Full text PDF: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1333495047 |
Transgression has been a focus within the psychological community for many years, with special focus on moral transgressions as a type of spiritual struggle. Recent research has placed an emphasis on another spiritual struggle, anger toward God, which appears is often associated with blaming God for a negative life event. The present study explored the relationship between these two struggles. In the context of a web-based survey, undergraduates (N=138) reflected upon an instance of personal moral transgression and then completed a series of questionnaires assessing attitudes and beliefs in the context of transgression. Consistent with hypotheses, the extent to which individuals viewed their transgressions as arising from dispositional or trait-like qualities robustly predicted negative evaluations of God. This association demonstrates a previously unexplored link between two forms of spiritual struggle and provides insight into the manner in which spiritual struggles interact.