The cognitive developmental theory of famous Swiss...

The cognitive developmental theory of famous Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget provides a backdrop for understanding religious development in children and adolescents. Linkages between religiousness and sexuality occur in adolescence. Fowler’s Developmental Theory Fowler proposed a theory of religious development that focuses on the motivation to discover meaning in life, either inside or outside of organized religion.

Fowler’s six stages are intuitive-projective faith, mythical-literal faith, synthetic-conventional faith, individuative-reflective faith, conjunctive faith, and universalizing faith. Religion and Spirituality in Older Adults Religion plays a special role in the lives of older adults. Many church leaders are elderly adults, and many elderly adults show a strong religiousness.

Religion is linked to a sense of well-being among the elderly, and religion can fulfill some important psychological needs in old age. Religious Conversion Two types of conversion are sudden and gradual. Another type is lifelong religious socialization. The old view was that religious conversion occurs against a person’s will. The new view is that converts are active and religion-seeking. More cognitively oriented versions of conversion have also been offered.

Religious Experience, Attitudes, Behavior, and Health Religious Experience Religious experience can be evaluated in two ways - from the inside or from the outside. Two general classes of factors that facilitate religious experiences are dispositional and situational. Religious orientation is a dispositional factor; taking drugs and floating underwater are situational factors.

Religious Attitudes and Behavior The grand paradox is that individuals who attend church tend to be more prejudiced than nonchurchgoers. However, Allport found that consistent churchgoers were less prejudiced than sporadic churchgoers.

Two lines of research that followed after Allport’s work have focused on quest (high-quest individuals generally are less prejudiced and are less likely to discriminate against ethnic minorities) and means and ends (Pargament argues that religion involves the simultaneous interaction of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation).

Religion and Physical Health In some cases, religion can be negatively linked to physical health, as when cults or religious sects restrict individuals from obtaining medical care. In mainstream religions, religion usually shows either a positive association or no association with physical health.