The Effects of Experiencing Loss on Child's Perception of Parents and God

Conceptualization of God in chil-dren and the role of attachment figures in genesis and the development of this concept have been investigated by psychologists، especially in recent de-cades. This study aimed to investigate the impact of experiencing loss on child’s perception of God، mother and father. In this casual-comparative study، a sample of 126 primary school students from Shiraz was selected through multistage stratified random sampling. Osgood’s Semantic Differential Scales were used for data collection. The results of the analysis of variance showed a significant difference betw-een the children with the experience of parents’ divorce، parents’ death and children without a loss experience in the perception of God، perception of father، and loving characteristics of God، father and mother. Children with loss experience perceived God، father and mother with less loving char-acteristics. In the perception of God and loving characteristics of God، the difference between children with the experience of parents’ death and children without a loss experience was significant. In the perception of father and loving characteristics of father، there was a significant difference between children with the experience of parents’ divorce and children without a loss experience. These res-ults are consistent with correspo-ndence pattern of attachment to God which states that loss experience causes anxiety in child attachment especially، to father، and this would affect attachment to God. Therefore، the child perceives the lost parent and God with less loving characteristics.