EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL AND ADOLESCENT RELIGIOSITY: THE ROLE OF ATTACHMENT TO PARENT AND GENDER

Abstract

Research investigating the role of parent-adolescent attachment as a moderator for relationships between parent and adolescent religiosity is greatly lacking. Given relatively mixed findings in this area, the present study aimed to examine relationships between parent and adolescent religiosity and the unique role of parent gender and attachment in these relationships. Additionally, this study explored religiosity variables hierarchically at a dispositional and operational level. A total of 216 participants from the National University of Singapore completed an online survey. Analyses of self-report data revealed that maternal, paternal and adolescent religiosity were positively correlated at a bivariate level. Moderation analysis yielded some evidence for attachment to mother as a moderator for the relationship between mother and adolescent religiosity. Specifically, positive links between maternal religiosity and adolescent dispositional religiosity were stronger at higher levels of attachment and weaker at lower levels of attachment. Paternal variables was not found to have significant effects on adolescent religiosity. Altogether, our findings contribute to the limited pool of research exploring how parent variables may interact and affect religious development in adolescence. Our study also provides empirical evidence for the hierarchical model of religiosity. Possible explanations for the results and implications are discussed further.