Does Change in Adolescent Faith, Spirituality and Religiosity Really Happen?

Does Change in Adolescent Faith, Spirituality and Religiosity Really Happen?

Janice L. TempletonStephen C. Peck

Jacquelynne S. EcclesUniversity of Michigan

OverviewOverview

Spirituality, religiosity, faith: Spirituality, religiosity, faith: complex constructs complex constructs

Complex developmental processesComplex developmental processes Mixed methods approach: person-Mixed methods approach: person-

centered and variable centeredcentered and variable centered Stability and change in adolescent Stability and change in adolescent

religiosity: person-centered religiosity: person-centered approachapproach

Complex Develomental Complex Develomental ProcessesProcesses

Multifinality Multifinality EquifinalityEquifinality

Cicchetti, Dante & Rogosch, 1996

Multifinality Multifinality ((Cicchetti, Dante & Rogosch,

1996)

Religious family context

Not religious

Religious, but don’t attend religious services

Spiritual, but not religious

Religious and attend religious services weekly

Equifinality Equifinality ((Cicchetti, Dante & Rogosch, 1996)

Spiritual, but not religious

Highly religious family

Civically engaged family

Environmentalist family

vs. Variable centered approachvs. Variable centered approach Complex, dynamic and adaptive Complex, dynamic and adaptive

person-environment systemsperson-environment systems Principles and mechanisms Principles and mechanisms

underlying developmental underlying developmental processes processes

Patterns of development across Patterns of development across time time

Person-centered Person-centered ApproachApproach

Magnusson, 2003Magnusson, 2003

MADICSMADICS (Eccles & Sameroff, (Eccles & Sameroff, PI’s)PI’s)

Maryland Adolescent Development Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Studyin Context Study

6 (plus) Waves of Longitudinal Data6 (plus) Waves of Longitudinal Data Questionnaires and InterviewsQuestionnaires and Interviews Target Youth, PCG, SCG, & OSTarget Youth, PCG, SCG, & OS N’s 1482 (age 12) to 900 (age 23)N’s 1482 (age 12) to 900 (age 23) 49% Female49% Female 60% Black, 30% White, 10% Other60% Black, 30% White, 10% Other

MADICS MADICS AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

We thank the following people for their support of We thank the following people for their support of this project (listed alphabetically): Elaine Belansky, this project (listed alphabetically): Elaine Belansky, Todd Bartko, Heather Bouchey, Nick Butler, Celina Todd Bartko, Heather Bouchey, Nick Butler, Celina Chatman, Diane Early, Kari Fraser, Leslie Gutman, Chatman, Diane Early, Kari Fraser, Leslie Gutman, Katie Jodl, Ariel Kalil, Linda Kuhn, Sarah Lord, Karen Katie Jodl, Ariel Kalil, Linda Kuhn, Sarah Lord, Karen McCarthy, Oksana Malanchuk, Alice Michael, McCarthy, Oksana Malanchuk, Alice Michael, Melanie Overby, Stephen C. Peck, Robert Roeser, Melanie Overby, Stephen C. Peck, Robert Roeser, Sherri Steele, Erika Taylor, Janice Templeton, Cindy Sherri Steele, Erika Taylor, Janice Templeton, Cindy Winston, and Carol Wong.Winston, and Carol Wong.Data reported here come from grants to Jacquelynne Data reported here come from grants to Jacquelynne S. Eccles and Arnold J. Sameroff from the MacArthur S. Eccles and Arnold J. Sameroff from the MacArthur Network on Successful Adolescent Development in Network on Successful Adolescent Development in High Risk Settings (Chair: R. Jessor) and the High Risk Settings (Chair: R. Jessor) and the National Institutes for Child Health and Human National Institutes for Child Health and Human Development and to Jacquelynne S. Eccles from the Development and to Jacquelynne S. Eccles from the W.T. Grant Foundation.W.T. Grant Foundation.

MADICS Religion MeasuresMADICS Religion Measures

Explicit Explicit How often do you attend church or religious How often do you attend church or religious

services?services?

Implicit Implicit (Open-ended questions, religious(Open-ended questions, religious

content NOT solicited)content NOT solicited) HopesHopes: List four things about the kind of : List four things about the kind of

person you most hope to be at this time next person you most hope to be at this time next year.year.

WishesWishes: What you would wish for, if you had : What you would wish for, if you had three wishes?three wishes?

OccupationOccupation: If you could have any job, what : If you could have any job, what would it be at age 25?would it be at age 25?

AnalysisAnalysis

Chi square Chi square Adjusted residuals +/- 1.96Adjusted residuals +/- 1.96

More than expected by chance

Less than expected by chance

Expected by chance

Explicit MeasuresExplicit Measures Do you have a religion?Do you have a religion? How often do you attend church or How often do you attend church or

religious services? religious services? 3 groups3 groups

No religion No religion Low attendance – once/month or lessLow attendance – once/month or less High attendance – once/week or moreHigh attendance – once/week or more

Religious TypesReligious Types8th 11th

No religionNo religionN=106N=106

66% (13.4)

High AttendHigh AttendN=397N=397

81% (14.5)

Low AttendLow AttendN=122N=122

52% (9.0) Low AttendLow AttendN=63N=63

No religionNo religionN=70N=70

High AttendHigh AttendN=321N=321

“Stability”

Examples of Implicit Religious Examples of Implicit Religious Identity Theme ResponsesIdentity Theme Responses

HopesHopes: to be saved, to serve : to be saved, to serve GodGod

WishesWishes: : have everyone go to have everyone go to heaven, be more spiritualheaven, be more spiritual

Million Dollars:Million Dollars: give money to give money to church church

Desired OccupationDesired Occupation: : ministerminister

77thth 8 8thth 11 11thth

No Religious Identity PatternsNo Religious Identity Patterns

YesN=43

YesN=13

5% (-5.2) 37% (5.1)

63% (-5.1)

NoN=22

7% (-7.0) YesN=50

NoN=896

NoN=853

95% (5.2)

NoN=638

93% (7.0)

77thth 8 8thth 11 11thth

Religious Identity Theme Religious Identity Theme PatternsPatterns

YesN=151

NoN=127

84% (-5.2)NoN=6

30% (-8.6)

YesN=24

16% (5.2)

YesN=14

70% (8.6)

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

High Attend Low Attend No Religion

No rel idRel id

88thth Grade Religious Identity and Grade Religious Identity and Religious Service AttendanceReligious Service Attendance

N=367

Adj

uste

d R

esid

uals

Religious Identity PathwaysReligious Identity Pathways

High AttendNo Relig Id

N=422

Relig IDN=56

13% (4.9)

88thth 11th11th

Not Hi Att No Relig Id

N=279Relig ID

N=7

3% (-4.9)

Family ContextFamily Context

Primary caregiver reportPrimary caregiver report How important is religion in the How important is religion in the

day to day life of your family? day to day life of your family? Low Importance (Not At All, A Low Importance (Not At All, A

Little, Somewhat)Little, Somewhat) High Importance (Very)High Importance (Very)

8th 8th

11th11th

Youth and Family Context Youth and Family Context

PatternsPatterns

Hi ImpNo IDN=396

Hi Imp/No IDN=283

72% (*12.1)

12% (*2.0)

Hi Imp/IDN=46

ConclusionsConclusions

Mixed methods approachMixed methods approach Person-centered approach Person-centered approach Variable-centered approachVariable-centered approach

Individual profiles - spiritualityIndividual profiles - spirituality Context profiles – family Context profiles – family

socialization factors such as parental socialization factors such as parental religiosity, parent-youth affective religiosity, parent-youth affective relationshiprelationship

Thank you.For More Information:

http://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/garp