Perceived parental religiosity and emerging adult psychological adjustment: Moderated mediation by gender and personal religiosity.

Abstract

Religiosity has a great effect on how individuals view and live their lives, helping to determine their actions and thoughts. Several reviews have substantiated a positive relationship between religiosity and mental health. Parental religiosity also can be beneficial, as adolescents with religious parents tended to be less likely to engage in risky behaviors. Similarly, late adolescent religiosity has been shown to mediate the relationship between perceived parental religiosity and late adolescent psychological outcomes. The current study expanded upon previous research by examining gender effects of both parents and children when examining how personal religiosity mediates the relationship between perceived parental religiosity and emerging adult internalizing and externalizing problems. A sample of 486 emerging adults completed an online survey where they reported the religiosity of themselves and perceived religiosity of both parents as well as their own internalizing and externalizing problems. Results were consistent with hypotheses and showed that personal religiosity mediated the effect between both maternal and paternal perceived religiosity and externalizing problems for both males and females, but between maternal and paternal religiosity and internalizing problems only for males. Overall, results demonstrated that these indirect effects were conditional based on children's gender, indicating moderated mediation.

Transmission of Religiosity From Parent to Child: Moderation by Perceived Parental Depression and Anxiety

“…Specifically, the current study contributes to previous literature by examining both maternal and paternal variables, parental anxiety, and used participant gender as a moderating variable. Both perceived maternal and paternal religiosity predicted emerging adult religiosity likely due to the strong influence of parents on children, as found in other research (e.g., Pearce & Thornton, 2007; Stearns & McKinney, 2017a). Indeed, parents socialize the religiosity of their children by exposing them to religious beliefs and activities as well as by encouraging them to engage in religious communities (Boyatzis, 2006).…”

“…The current study found that the father–daughter bond may facilitate the transmission of religiosity (Halgunseth et al, 2016; Stearns & McKinney, 2017a, 2017b). This association may be related to females being more religious in general, thus boosting the transmission of religiosity within the father–daughter dyad (Boyatzis, 2006).…”

“…Based on previous studies, opposite-gender dyads are particularly helpful for the facilitation of transmission from parent to child. For example, research has found increased transmission among father–daughter pairs (Halgunseth, Jensen, Sakuma, & McHale, 2016; Stearns & McKinney, 2017a, 2017b). Admittedly, as stated above, females are more religious in general, but fathers and daughters also may experience a better relationship during adolescence (Nielsen, 1996).…”

“…Moreover, whereas Jacobs et al had examined only depressed mothers, it was suspected that parental anxiety would lead to the same outcomes as depression had in their sample, though perhaps through different parenting mechanisms (e.g., children of depressed parents experiencing rejection whereas children of anxious parents dealing with controlling and anxious parenting behaviors). Additionally, previous research has suggested that mother–son and father–daughter dyads result in particularly powerful religiosity transmission (Dickie et al, 2006; Stearns & McKinney, 2017a). The current study seeks to determine whether the facilitating power of these identified gender dyads still remain in the presence of parental internalizing problems.…”

“…Indeed, often parents attempt to instill their values in their children by modeling religious behavior (Flor & Knapp, 2001). Many things can hinder a child from acquiring the religiosity of his or her parents, such as parental incarceration, parenting behaviors, and internalizing problems (Jacobs et al, 2012; Stearns & McKinney, 2017a).…”