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Crafting Mosaics: Person-Centered Religious Influence and Selection in Adolescent Friendships
Jimi Adams1, David R Schaefer2, Andrea Vest Ettekal3
1Department of Health & Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver.
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
|August 25, 2020
Summary
Adolescents influence each other's religious mosaics, but do not select friends based on these religious profiles. This study examines religion and peer networks in adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Religion
- Adolescent Peer Networks
- Social Network Analysis
Background:
- Religion is multi-faceted, best understood through "mosaics" of indicators rather than single variables.
- Adolescent peer networks significantly shape social and personal development.
- Understanding the interplay between religious identity and peer group dynamics is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how adolescents' religious mosaics are shaped by peer networks.
- To examine how religious profiles influence adolescent friend selection.
- To apply a mosaic framework to adolescent religion and peer network dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify distinct religious profiles (mosaics) among adolescents.
- Stochastic Actor Based Models (SABMs) to analyze network dynamics and influence.
- Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
Main Results:
- Identified theoretically-expected religious mosaic profiles among adolescents.
- Demonstrated that adolescents influence each other's religious mosaics.
- Found no evidence that adolescents select friends based on their religious mosaics.
Conclusions:
- Peer influence plays a significant role in shaping adolescent religious identity mosaics.
- Friend selection processes among adolescents are not primarily driven by religious mosaic similarity.
- The study highlights the complex relationship between religion, peer influence, and social selection in adolescence.
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