Declines in Religiousness Dimensions across Adolescence as Predictors of Religious Deidentification in Young Adulthood

Sam A. Hardy, Justin Hendricks, Jenae M. Nelson, Philip Schwadel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present study examined whether declines in religiousness across adolescence precede religious deidentification in young adulthood. Data came from the National Study of Youth and Religion. Participants were religiously affiliated for the first three waves of the longitudinal study (N = 1144). Latent growth curve models found significant declines across adolescence in church attendance, prayer, scripture study, religious importance, and spirituality, whereas doubt was stable across time. Then, logistic regression models specified the latent intercepts and slopes as predictors of later (Wave 4) deidentification. Significant negative links were found for the intercepts and slopes on church attendance, prayer, scripture study, religious importance, and spirituality. For doubt, a significant, positive link was found for the intercept.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)141-153
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Research on Adolescence
Volume33
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2023

Keywords

  • religiosity
  • religious deconversion
  • religious deidentification
  • religious disaffiliation
  • religiousness

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

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