Religious Development: How (and Why) Does Religiosity Change from Adolescence to Young Adulthood?

Researchers have argued for longitudinal studies that focus more attention on how religious attitudes and behaviors change during adolescence and, especially, as adolescents make the transition to young adulthood. Therefore, the authors use growth curve modeling to examine the infuence of parents and peers on adolescent religious service attendance and belief in the importance of religion using five waves (eight years) of the National Youth Survey (1979–1987). The results suggest adolescents who live with both of their biological parents have higher initial levels of religious service attendance, but their religious service attendance decreases more rapidly over time. The pattern of results for peer attachment is similar. Compared to adolescents with low peer attachment, adolescents with high peer attachment are more likely to attend religious services initially and to believe that religion is important, but their religious service attendance and belief in the importance of religion decreases more rapidly over time.