Individual-Level Trajectories of Religiosity during Adolescence and Their Implications for Purpose.

Cohort-comparison studies suggest that adolescent religiosity has been declining over recent decades; however, work is needed on individual differences in patterns of change in religiosity throughout adolescence. The current study seeks to evaluate religiosity trends for adolescents as they transition from 6th to 12th grade, using seven annual waves of data, and whether these patterns of change were associated with later sense of purpose. Participants (n = 824; 50.7% female; 85.1% Caucasian) completed annual measures of religiosity from 6th to 12th grade, and a measure of sense of purpose at age 21 as part of the Oregon Youth Substance Use Project. Findings from latent growth models suggest both a mean-level decline in religiosity as well as individual differences in patterns of change across time. Furthermore, the intercept and change in religiosity throughout adolescence positively predicted sense of purpose at age 21. Results are discussed with respect to how individual differences occur in religiosity, and what that means for purpose development throughout adolescence.

Parent-Child Conflict during Elementary School as a Longitudinal Predictor of Sense of Purpose in Emerging Adulthood.

Having a sense of purpose is viewed as a benchmark of adaptive development. Though adolescence and emerging adulthood are viewed as central periods for the development of a purpose, work still is needed to understand the childhood factors that influence this developmental process. The current study provides an initial investigation into whether parent-child conflict during elementary school predicts later sense of purpose, assessed during emerging adulthood (mean age: 21.01 years; range: 19.97-23.53). The sample included 1074 students (50% female), and their parents, who both reported on their levels of parent-child conflict during grades 1-5. Higher levels of parent-child conflict were associated with lower levels of purpose in emerging adulthood. Moreover, the study examined whether these effects remained when predicting the variance unique to purpose while accounting for other indicators of well-being in emerging adulthood. Bi-factor models demonstrated that the child's perception of mother-child conflict has a unique prospective effect on purpose in emerging adulthood, above and beyond its negative association with general well-being. The findings are discussed with respect to how positive parent-child relationships may prove important for starting youth on the path to purpose.