Religiosity and young people’s construction of personal identity
Keywords:
adolescence; identity style; religiosity
Abstract
According to Erikson (1964, 1965), developing our individual approach to religion is a very important part of our mature and integrated identity development. The aim of the present study was to determine the connection between religiosity and identity development in adolescence. 300 students of Cracow’s high and junior high schools (including Catholic schools) filled in Polish versions of Huber’s Centrality of Religiosity Scale and Berzonsky’s Identity Style Inventory. The results confirmed the expected connection between identity styles and religiosity constructs defined as a system located in the personality of the individual. Indicators of religion correlated most positively with the normative and informational styles and negatively with the diffuse/avoidant style. Attaching weight to religion and giving it an important role in life was associated with having a more mature and adaptive identity style. Lack of interest in religion occurred in people whose identity was fragmented and nonintegrated. Some differences were noted between students of Catholic and non-Catholic schools.
References
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Berzonsky, M. D., & Kuk, L. S. (2000). Identity status, identity processing style, and transition to university. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15, 81-98.
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Cote, J. E., & Levine, C. (1988). A critical examination of the ego identity status paradigm. Developmental Review, 8, 147-184.
Czyżowska, D. (2005). Style tożsamości a poziom rozwoju rozumowania moralnego jednostki. Psychologia Rozwojowa, 4(10), 73-82.
Czyżowska, D. (2007). Kształtowanie się tożsamości a sposób rozważania dylematów społeczno-moralnych przez młodzież. Psychologia Rozwojowa, 3(12), 61-72.
Duriez, B., Soenens, B., & Beyers, W. (2004). Personality, identity styles, and religiosity: An integrative study among late adolescents in Flanders (Belgium). Journal of Personality, 72(5), 877-910.
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Huber, S. (2003). Zentralität und Inhalt: Ein neues multidimensionales Messmodel der Religiosität. Opladen: Leske and Budrich.
Kirkpatrick, L. A. (1989). A psychometric analysis of the Allport-Ross and Feagin measures of intrinsic-extrinsic religious orientation. In M. Lynn, & D. Moberg (Eds.), Research in the social scientific study of religion, vol. 1 (pp. 1-31). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Leak, G. K. (2009). An assessment of the relationship between identity development, faith development, and religious commitment. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 9, 201-218.
Maclean, A. M., Walker, L. J., & Matsuba, M. K. (2004). Transcendence and the moral self: Identity integration, religion, and moral life. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 43(3), 429-437.
Marcia, J. (1966). Development and validation of ego identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 551-558.
Marcia, J. (1967). Ego identity status: Relationship to change in self-esteem, general maladjustment, and authoritarianism. Journal of Personality, 35, 119-133.
Marcia, J. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 159-187). New York: Wiley.
Marcia, J. E. (1987). The identity status approach to the study of ego identity development. In T. Honess, & K. Yardley (Eds.), Self and identity. Perspectives across the lifespan. London– –New York: Reutledge and Kegan Paul.
Markstrom-Adams, C. (1999). Religious involvement and adolescent psychosocial development. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 205-221.
Markstrom-Adams, C., Hofstra, G., & Dougher, K. (1994). The ego-virtue of fidelity: A case for the study of religion and identity formation in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 453-469.
Markstrom-Adams, C., & Smith, M. (1996). Identity formation and religious orientation among high school students from the United States and Canada. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 453-469.
Opoczyńska, M. (1999). Moratorium psychospołeczne – szansa czy zagrożenie dla rozwoju. In A. Gałdowa (Ed.), Klasyczne i współczesne koncepcje osobowości (pp. 123-141). Cracow: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.
Parker, M. S. (1985). Identity and the development of religious thinking. New Directions for Child Development, 30, 43-60.
Senejko, A. (2007). Style kształtowania tożsamości u młodzieży a ustosunkowanie wobec zagrożeń. In B. Harwas-Napierała, & H. Liberska (Eds.), Tożsamość a współczesność (pp. 101-128). Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza.
Senejko, A. (2010a). Obrona psychologiczna jako narzędzie rozwoju. Na przykładzie adolescencji. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Senejko, A. (2010b). Inwentarz Stylów Tożsamości Michaela D. Berzonsky’ego – dane psychometryczne polskiej adaptacji kwestionariusza. Psychologia Rozwojowa, 4(10), 31-48.
Stark, R., & Glock, Ch. Y. (1968). American piety: The nature of religious commitment. Los Angeles, CA: Berkley University Press.
Tzuriel, D. (1984). Sex role typing and ego identity in Israeli, Oriental and Western adolescents. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 440-457.
Van Hoof, A. (1999). The identity status field re-reviewed: An update of unresolved and neglected issues with a view on some alternative approaches. Developmental Review, 19, 497-556.
Verhoeven, D., & Hutsebaut, D. (1995). Identity statuses and religiosity. A research among Flemish university students. Journal of Empirical Theology, 8(1), 46-64.
Waterman, A. S. (1982). Identity development from adolescence to adulthood: An extension of theory and a review of research. Developmental Psychology, 18, 341-358.
Watson, P. J., Morris, R. J., Hood, R. W., Milliron, J. T., & Stutz, N. L. (1998). Religious orientation, identity, and the quest for meaning in ethics within an ideological surround. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 8, 149-164.
Wulff, D. M. (1991). Psychology of religion: Classic and contemporary views. New York: Wiley.
Zarzycka, B. (2007). Skala Centralności Religijności. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 10(1), 135-157.
Allport, G. W. (1988). Osobowość i religia. Warsaw: Instytut Wydawniczy PAX.
Batson, D. C. (1976). Religion as prosocial: Agent or double-agent? Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion, 15, 29-45.
Batson, D. C., & Shoenrade, P. A. (1991). Measuring religion as quest: 1) Validity concerns. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 30, 416-429.
Batson, D. C., Shoenrade, P., & Ventis L. W. (1993). Religion and the individual: A social-psychological perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Berman, A. M., Schwartz, S. J., Kurtines, W. M., & Berman S. L. (2001). The process of exploration in identity formation: The role of style and competence. Journal of Adolescence, 24, 513-528.
Berzonsky, M. D. (1990). Self-construction over the life-span: A process perspective on identity formation. Advances in Personal Construct Psychology, 1, 155-186.
Berzonsky, M. D. (1992). A process perspective on identity and stress management. In G. R. Adams, T. P. Gullotta, & R. Montemayor (Eds.), Advances in adolescent development: Adolescent identity formation, vol. 4 (pp. 193-215). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Berzonsky, M. D. (2008). Identity processing style and defensive mechanisms. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 39(3), 111-117.
Berzonsky, M. D., & Adams, G. R. (1999). Reevaluating the identity status paradigm: Still useful after 35 years. Developmental Review, 19, 557-590.
Berzonsky, M. D., & Kuk, L. S. (2000). Identity status, identity processing style, and transition to university. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15, 81-98.
Cote, J. E., & Levine, C. (1987). A formulation of Erikson’s theory of ego identity formation. Developmental Review, 7, 273-235.
Cote, J. E., & Levine, C. (1988). A critical examination of the ego identity status paradigm. Developmental Review, 8, 147-184.
Czyżowska, D. (2005). Style tożsamości a poziom rozwoju rozumowania moralnego jednostki. Psychologia Rozwojowa, 4(10), 73-82.
Czyżowska, D. (2007). Kształtowanie się tożsamości a sposób rozważania dylematów społeczno-moralnych przez młodzież. Psychologia Rozwojowa, 3(12), 61-72.
Duriez, B., Soenens, B., & Beyers, W. (2004). Personality, identity styles, and religiosity: An integrative study among late adolescents in Flanders (Belgium). Journal of Personality, 72(5), 877-910.
Erikson, E. H. (1958). Young man Luther. New York: Norton.
Erikson, E. H. (1964). Insight and responsibility. New York: Norton.
Erikson, E. H. (1965). Youth: Fidelity and diversity. In E. H. Erikson (Ed.), The challenge of youth (pp. 1-28). New York: Anchor Books.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.
Erikson, E. H. (2004). Tożsamość a cykl życia. Poznań: Zysk i S-ka Wydawnictwo.
Foster, J. D., & LaForce, B. (1999). A longitudinal study of moral, religious, and identity development in a Christian liberal arts environment. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 27, 52-68.
Huber, S. (2003). Zentralität und Inhalt: Ein neues multidimensionales Messmodel der Religiosität. Opladen: Leske and Budrich.
Kirkpatrick, L. A. (1989). A psychometric analysis of the Allport-Ross and Feagin measures of intrinsic-extrinsic religious orientation. In M. Lynn, & D. Moberg (Eds.), Research in the social scientific study of religion, vol. 1 (pp. 1-31). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Leak, G. K. (2009). An assessment of the relationship between identity development, faith development, and religious commitment. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 9, 201-218.
Maclean, A. M., Walker, L. J., & Matsuba, M. K. (2004). Transcendence and the moral self: Identity integration, religion, and moral life. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 43(3), 429-437.
Marcia, J. (1966). Development and validation of ego identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 551-558.
Marcia, J. (1967). Ego identity status: Relationship to change in self-esteem, general maladjustment, and authoritarianism. Journal of Personality, 35, 119-133.
Marcia, J. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 159-187). New York: Wiley.
Marcia, J. E. (1987). The identity status approach to the study of ego identity development. In T. Honess, & K. Yardley (Eds.), Self and identity. Perspectives across the lifespan. London– –New York: Reutledge and Kegan Paul.
Markstrom-Adams, C. (1999). Religious involvement and adolescent psychosocial development. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 205-221.
Markstrom-Adams, C., Hofstra, G., & Dougher, K. (1994). The ego-virtue of fidelity: A case for the study of religion and identity formation in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 453-469.
Markstrom-Adams, C., & Smith, M. (1996). Identity formation and religious orientation among high school students from the United States and Canada. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 453-469.
Opoczyńska, M. (1999). Moratorium psychospołeczne – szansa czy zagrożenie dla rozwoju. In A. Gałdowa (Ed.), Klasyczne i współczesne koncepcje osobowości (pp. 123-141). Cracow: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.
Parker, M. S. (1985). Identity and the development of religious thinking. New Directions for Child Development, 30, 43-60.
Senejko, A. (2007). Style kształtowania tożsamości u młodzieży a ustosunkowanie wobec zagrożeń. In B. Harwas-Napierała, & H. Liberska (Eds.), Tożsamość a współczesność (pp. 101-128). Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza.
Senejko, A. (2010a). Obrona psychologiczna jako narzędzie rozwoju. Na przykładzie adolescencji. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Senejko, A. (2010b). Inwentarz Stylów Tożsamości Michaela D. Berzonsky’ego – dane psychometryczne polskiej adaptacji kwestionariusza. Psychologia Rozwojowa, 4(10), 31-48.
Stark, R., & Glock, Ch. Y. (1968). American piety: The nature of religious commitment. Los Angeles, CA: Berkley University Press.
Tzuriel, D. (1984). Sex role typing and ego identity in Israeli, Oriental and Western adolescents. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 440-457.
Van Hoof, A. (1999). The identity status field re-reviewed: An update of unresolved and neglected issues with a view on some alternative approaches. Developmental Review, 19, 497-556.
Verhoeven, D., & Hutsebaut, D. (1995). Identity statuses and religiosity. A research among Flemish university students. Journal of Empirical Theology, 8(1), 46-64.
Waterman, A. S. (1982). Identity development from adolescence to adulthood: An extension of theory and a review of research. Developmental Psychology, 18, 341-358.
Watson, P. J., Morris, R. J., Hood, R. W., Milliron, J. T., & Stutz, N. L. (1998). Religious orientation, identity, and the quest for meaning in ethics within an ideological surround. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 8, 149-164.
Wulff, D. M. (1991). Psychology of religion: Classic and contemporary views. New York: Wiley.
Zarzycka, B. (2007). Skala Centralności Religijności. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 10(1), 135-157.
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