Love and Guilt-Oriented Dimensions Scale – LGODS
Distinguishes types of Christian religious belief based on love-oriented, guilt-oriented, and conventional interpretations of atonement and faith.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Love and Guilt-Oriented Dimensions Scale – LGODS was developed by John B. McConahay & John C. Hough, Jr. (1973). It is designed to measure Religious belief dimensions (love-oriented, guilt-oriented, conventional). The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Guilt-Oriented Scale, Love-Oriented Self-Centered Scale, Love-Oriented Other-Centered Scale, Conventional Religiosity Scale.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Guilt-Oriented Scale | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Love-Oriented Self-Centered Scale | 6,7,8,9,10 | 5 |
| Love-Oriented Other-Centered Scale | 11,12,13,14,15 | 5 |
| Conventional Religiosity Scale | 16,17,18,19,20 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 5 to 25. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low agreement with the dimension: 5 – 11
- Moderate agreement with the dimension: 12 – 18
- High agreement with the dimension: 19 – 25
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Guilt-oriented: .81, Love-oriented self-centered: .56, Love-oriented other-centered: .53, Conventional: .66.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.