False Self Scale – Relationship with God

Abstract

The False Self Scale-Relationship with God is an adaptation of an existing psychological instrument designed to measure the degree of inauthenticity or “false self” presentation within an individual’s spiritual life. Originally developed to assess correlates of the False Self in adolescent romantic relationships, the scale was modified to focus specifically on the subjective experience of relating to the divine. It seeks to quantify the extent to which individuals feel compelled to conceal aspects of their true identity or adopt prescribed behaviors in order to feel accepted or loved by God. This scale is crucial for research exploring spiritual struggle, religious coping mechanisms, and the development of mature religious faith based on genuine authenticity.

Keywords

False Self, Authenticity, Spiritual Struggle, Relationship with God, Religious Psychology, Psychometrics, Inauthenticity, Adolescent, Spiritual Assessment

Authors

L. K. Sippola, C. M. Buchanan, S. Kehoe (Original Scale Authors); Adapted by subsequent researchers for theological context.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this adapted instrument is to provide a quantitative measure of relational inauthenticity specifically directed toward God. Traditional psychological assessments often focus on interpersonal relationships, but this scale extends the concept of the False Self into the spiritual domain. It allows researchers and clinicians to assess how genuine an individual perceives their spiritual interactions to be, identifying tendencies toward conformity or self-concealment in the presence of the divine.

By assessing this construct, the scale helps identify potential sources of spiritual distress, as presenting a false self often correlates with internalized shame, anxiety, and a perceived lack of unconditional acceptance. The measure is intended for use in studies examining the development of faith, the impact of religious environments, and the psychological health of religiously affiliated individuals.

Construct

The scale measures the psychological construct of the False Self as applied to the God-relationship. This concept, derived from the work of D. W. Winnicott, describes a defensive façade or mask adopted by an individual to comply with external demands or expectations, thereby protecting the vulnerable “True Self.” In the spiritual context, the False Self reflects the belief that one must perform specific religious duties, suppress certain doubts or sins, or project an image of piety to maintain God’s approval or love.

The construct is characterized by items reflecting difficulty in self-disclosure, feeling like a “different person” when interacting spiritually, and perceiving God’s acceptance as conditional upon performance or concealment. Conversely, the absence of a False Self in this context implies a relationship characterized by authenticity, vulnerability, and the experience of unconditional love.

Validity

While specific validity data for the adapted scale (False Self Scale-Relationship with God) must be established through subsequent research utilizing the instrument, its theoretical foundation relies on the established validity of the original Sippola et al. (2007) scale in measuring inauthenticity in romantic relationships.

• Content Validity: The items were directly adapted from a validated instrument, ensuring they cover the domain of self-concealment and inauthenticity, modified only to shift the relational target from a romantic partner to God.
• Construct Validity: Researchers using this scale typically examine correlations with related constructs, such as insecure attachment to God, religious perfectionism, spiritual distress, and lower self-esteem, where significant correlations would support the scale’s construct validity.

Reliability

Reliability data for the specific adapted version should be reported in the academic studies utilizing it. Given that the scale is short (7 items), internal consistency (typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha) is a critical indicator of reliability. Researchers utilizing short, adapted scales often aim for an alpha coefficient of at least 0.70 or higher to demonstrate that the items consistently measure the underlying construct.

Test-retest reliability, which measures the stability of scores over time, would also be necessary to ensure that the individual’s reported level of False Self presentation in relation to God is a stable trait rather than a transient state.

Factor Analysis

The original False Self Scale utilized factor analysis to confirm its unidimensional structure, meaning all items loaded onto a single factor representing inauthenticity. For the adapted 7-item scale, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) or exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is typically conducted by researchers to verify that the items still cohere as a single measure of False Self presentation toward God. Item 6, which is reverse-scored and reflects acceptance, might potentially load separately or contribute negatively to the primary factor, validating its role as an indicator of authenticity.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire

Format: 5-point Likert scale (1= Strongly disagree, 5= Strongly Agree)

Language Available: English (Original adaptation language)

Population Group: Individuals engaged in a relationship with God or a higher power.

Age Group: Adolescent and Adult populations, depending on the study context.

Population Details: Primarily used in samples focused on religious coping, spiritual development, and psychology of religion.

Test Methodology: Quantitative survey research methodology, typically administered online or via paper-and-pencil survey alongside other measures of psychological and spiritual well-being.

Keywords

Spiritual Inauthenticity, Religious Conformity, Psychological Adaptation, Unconditional Love, D. W. Winnicott, Likert scale, Self-Concealment, Attachment to God

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The core items and instructions were adapted with permission from the original authors and copyright holders (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Copyright 2007). Researchers must seek permission from the original copyright holder or the specific research group that performed the adaptation before using the scale for commercial purposes or large-scale academic studies. The adaptation year is subsequent to the original publication date of 2007. The original PDF containing this scale was hosted by Abilene Christian University (ACU), suggesting its use in research pertaining to Attachment to God.

Reference’s

The primary source for the item content and instructions is the adaptation of the following academic work:

• Sippola, L. K., Buchanan, C. M., & Kehoe, S. (2007). Correlates of False Self in Adolescent Romantic Relationships. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36(4), 515–521.

The scale’s context and availability are often linked to research on attachment theory and faith. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.acu.edu/academics/cas/psychology/documents/beck/Attachment%20to%20God.pdf

Items of the False Self Scale-Relationship with God

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the statements listed below. Answer each item based on your experiences in relationship with God. We are interested in how you generally experience your relationship with God, not just in what is happening in that relationship currently.

1= Strongly disagree. 2= Somewhat disagree, 3= Neither agree nor disagree, 4= Somewhat Agree, 5= Strongly Agree

1. It is harder to be myself when I am interacting with God than when I am not.
2. I feel I have to act a certain way to please God.
3. I feel like I am a different person when I am interacting with God.
4. In order for God to like mc, I cannot reveal certain things about myself to him.
5. I don’t really act like my true self when I am interacting with God.
6. God loves and appreciates mc for who I am.
7. I feel that God doesn’t know the “true” me.