Religious development

According to the psychologist Jean Piaget, children and adolescents go through three stages of religious development. From one study, in which children were asked about what they thought of religious pictures and Bible stories, Piaget's theories were supported by the children's responses.

Intuitive religious thought processes can occur in children up to seven or eight years of age. This type of thought is marked by unsystematic and fragmented thoughts. Children do not understand or comprehend the stories and the evidence of religions.

Concrete operational thought occurs between the ages of seven or eight until 13 or 14 years of age. At this point, Piaget states that children start to focus on particular details of pictures and stories.

From the age of 14 and through the rest of adolescence, abstract religious thoughts start to occur.

At this age, people go through identity development which may lead them to start thinking deeper about religious beliefs.

The importance of religion in the lives of people in early adulthood has been declining in the 21st century.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-13 |title=2. Young adults around the world are less religious by several measures |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2018/06/13/young-adults-around-the-world-are-less-religious-by-several-measures/ |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project |language=en-US}} Religious importance in early adulthood is still high in less developed countries compared to developed countries where its on the downfall.

According to some studies, religion increases in importance later in adulthood.{{Cite journal |last1=Bengtson |first1=Vern L. |last2=Putney |first2=Norella M. |last3=Silverstein |first3=Merril |last4=Harris |first4=Susan C. |date=2015 |title=Does Religiousness Increase with Age? Age Changes and Generational Differences Over 35 Years |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24644346 |journal=Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=363–379 |doi=10.1111/jssr.12183 |jstor=24644346 |issn=0021-8294|url-access=subscription }} A survey in the United States showed that 72 percent of surveyed said they are religious and consider spirituality a major part of their lives.{{Cite web |last=Inc |first=Gallup |date=2018-12-24 |title=Religion Considered Important to 72% of Americans |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/245651/religion-considered-important-americans.aspx |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=Gallup.com |language=en}} However, studies also indicate that individuals in the US are becoming less involved in organized religion and instead shifting towards individualized spirituality.{{Cite web |last1=Lipka |first1=Michael |last2=Gecewicz |first2=Claire |title=More Americans now say they're spiritual but not religious |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/06/more-americans-now-say-theyre-spiritual-but-not-religious/ |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=Pew Research Center |date=6 September 2017 |language=en-US}}

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Some research indicates that parents can have a strong effect on religious development in children and adolescents, as they tend to adopt the religion that is practiced during their upbringing.{{cite journal |last1=Myers |first1=S.M. |title=An Interactive Model of Religiosity Inheritance: The Importance of Family Context |doi=10.2307/2096457 |journal=American Sociological Review |publisher=61(5), 858–866 |date=1996|volume=61 |issue=5 |pages=858–866 |jstor=2096457 }}{{cite journal |last1=McPhail |first1=Brian |title=Religious Heterogamy and the Intergenerational Transmission of Religion: A Cross-National Analysis |doi=10.3390/rel10020109 |journal=Religions |publisher=10(2):109 |date=February 2019|volume=10 |issue=2 |page=109 |doi-access=free }}{{cite web |last1=Cooperman |first1=Alan |title=Most U.S. parents pass along their religion and politics to their children |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/10/most-us-parents-pass-along-their-religion-and-politics-to-their-children/ |website=Pew Research Center |access-date=2 December 2023 |date=May 10, 2023}} The relationship between parents and their children however can change this. If there is a positive relationship between the parents and child, the child will be more likely to adopt their religious beliefs. In the case where there is a negative relationship between the parents and child, the child will be more likely to disaffiliate themselves with their parents' religious ideas.

Race and Gender

Research also suggests that race and gender play a major role in religious development as well. Females tend to believe there is a higher power more than males. They also participate more in organized and personal forms of religion. Females also are more likely to feel like religion is a major factor in their lives. In regards to race, Latinos and African Americans show higher rates of participation in religion than White Americans. Religious importance also varies from country to country. In a study of emerging adults, Japanese said that religion had a 0 percent importance in their lives compared to a high of 93 percent saying it has a very high importance in their lives in Nigeria. 40 percent of emerging adults in Sweden believe in God compared to a high of 100 percent belief in God in Pakistan.

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Santrock, John W. "Religion and Spirituality." Life span development a topical approach to. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 499-501.

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Category:Religion and children