Factors influencing religious affiliation changes among young adults

¶ … Theories:

Cultural internalization

An individual's religious affiliation is influenced by close relationship within their family of origin (Wilson & Sandomirsky, 2001)

Sunday school attendance did not seem to have an impact (Loveland, 2000)

The more content an individual was with his surrounding, the less likely he was to switch (Barro & McCleary, 2010).

spouses can have a stronger influence than parents on religious tendency of individuals

Life experiences and events can go far in altering religious belief and behavior (Albrecht & Cornwall, 1989).

Education effects belief transformation (Loveland, 2000).

Some individuals may change faith because they are attracted to a particular belief that offers them support and hope during a time of hardship and need for identity (Paloutzian, 1999).

Questions for Further Research

The studies mentioned in the literature review largely amorphosized their populations, forgetting to distinguish different religions and to consider that some religions and beliefs may be more difficult, due to their intense internalization to change than others. May some religious orientations / denominations find it easier to transfer faiths than others

2. Are there factors that cause commonalities of belief change across the various faiths?

B. Population

1. The participants for this study will be 18- to 30-year-old students at La Sierra University. These participants will be both male and female and from a variety of a cultural backgrounds.

2. The research group plans to distribute questionnaires to at least 100 students in classrooms on the La Sierra University campus.

C. Recruitment Process

1. The research group will recruit potential students by connecting with different faculty and with their approval disseminating the questionnaires in the class.

2. The students taking the questionnaire will be given a brief background on what class the questionnaire is for, the purpose of the research and questionnaire, and how the results will be used.

3. The research group will address the issue of informed consent with the students during their introduction in the classes.

D. Eligibility Criteria

Individuals over 30 are excluded from participating in the research because research indicated that older individuals are least likely to switch religions.

E. Potential Risks and Benefits

1. A potential risk could be that the questionnaire may create more self-awareness than the participants were expecting.

2. A possible benefit in taking the questionnaire could be that they gain more information on the reason people switch religions.

F. Data Analysis Methods

1. SPSS: logistic regression

2. The dependent variable is changing religious affiliations and the independent variables are factors that include parental divorce, childhood socialization in a religion, marriage, and near death experiences.

Sources

Albrecht, S.L., & Cornwall, M. (1989). Life events and religious change. Review of religious Research, 31(1), 23-38.

Barro, R., Hwang, J., & McCleary, R. (2010). Religious conversion in 40 countries. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 49(1), 15-36.

Loveland, M.T. (2003). Religious Switching: Preference Development, Maintenance, and Change. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42(1), 147-157

Paloutzian, R.F. (1999). Religious Conversion and Personality Change. Journal of Personality, 33.

Wilson, J., & Sandomirsky, S. (1991). Religious affiliation and the family. Sociological Forum, 6(2), 289-309.

Zinnbauer, B.J., & Pargament, K.I. (1998). Spiritual conversion: A study of religious change among college students. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 37(1), 161-180.