Is Religiosity Related to Better Parenting

Disentangling Religiosity From Religious Cognitive Style

Bibliographic Data

ID2346964
AuthorsBart Duriez (KU Leuven), B Soenens (0000-0003-1581-3656, Ghent University), Bart Neyrinck (KU Leuven), Maarten Vansteenkiste (0000-0001-6983-3607, Ghent University)
Year2009
Volume30
Issue9
Pages1287-1307
Publication date2009-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Family Issues (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0192-513X • E-ISSN: 1552-5481
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0192513x09334168
OpenAlexW2564748808
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited42

This study examines associations between parental religiosity and parenting in a sample of 482 mother-child and 453 father-child dyads. Parents complete a religiosity measure that allows disentangling the effects of being religious from the effects of the way in which people process religious contents (i.e., literal vs. symbolic). In addition, parent and adolescent reports of two parenting style (i.e., need support and regulation) and parental goal promotion dimensions (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic and conservation vs. openness to change goal promotion) are gathered. Whereas parental religiosity is positively related to a tendency to promote conservation rather than openness to change goals, a symbolic religious cognitive style relates positively to need support and the promotion of intrinsic rather than extrinsic goals. Hence, whereas relations between parental religiosity as such and parenting are limited and not unequivocally positive, a symbolic religious cognitive style systematically relates to adaptive parenting styles and goals. Implications are discussed

Developmental psychology · Openness to experience · Parenting styles · Religiosity · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology