Abstract
The authors used growth mixture models to study religious development during adulthood (ages 27-80) in a sample of individuals who were identified during childhood as intellectually gifted. The authors identified 3 discrete trajectories of religious development: (a) 40% of participants belonged to a trajectory class characterized by increases in religiousness until midlife and declines in later adulthood; (b) 41% of participants belonged to a trajectory class characterized by very low religiousness in early adulthood and age-related decline; and (c) 19% of participants belonged to a trajectory class characterized by high religiousness in early adulthood and age-related increases. Gender, strength of religious upbringing, number of children, marrying, and agreeableness predicted membership in the trajectory classes. Results were largely consistent with the rational choice theory of religious involvement.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 78-89 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |
Volume | 89 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Development
- Growth mixture models
- Longitudinal
- Religion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science