The Religiosity of Young Adults The Determinants of the Religiosity of Young Adults

Abstract

This study focused on how parental religiosity affects young adult children's religiosity. Parental religiosity was compared with their young adult children's religiosity. The type of parent-child relationship (if the young adult was securely or insecurely attached to their parents) was analyzed to determine its effects on the young adult's acceptance or rejection of his parent's beliefs. The hypothesis of this study was that children who have parents who are highly religious and are securely attached to their parents would be highly religious as young adults. A total of 70 people participated in this study; the participants were 35 introductory psychology students and 35 of their parents. Each participant was given a background questionnaire, a Religious Orientation Scale, an Intrinsic Religious Motivation Scale, a Quest Scale, and an Adult Attachment Scale. The hypothesis was supported because it was found that parental religiosity does effect young adult religiosity. The security of attachment of young adults does not effect their religiosity, but the security of parental attachment does. In other words, the level of security parents attached in their overall relationships is related to whether or not their children held the same religious beliefs as the parents.