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01-08-2017 | Original Paper

Differential Effects of Family Structure on Religion and Spirituality of Emerging Adult Males and Females

Authors: Paul J. Handal, John W. Lace

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 4/2017

Abstract

This study examined measures of religion and spirituality in a sample of male and female emerging adult college students whose parents were either divorced or intact using the Personal Religious Inventory, the Duke University Religion Index, the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the Spiritual Transcendence Scale, and the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. Data were collected online, and 66% of participants received extra credit for participating. A main effect of sex was found, as females reported significantly higher scores than men on all but one measure of religion and spirituality, and the dataset was separated by sex. No differences were found between males from divorced and intact families. However, females from intact families scored significantly higher on all religion and spirituality measures than females from divorced families. This study suggests that females may respond differently than males to their parents’ divorce in the context of religion and spirituality, and discusses possible reasons.

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Title: Differential Effects of Family Structure on Religion and Spirituality of Emerging Adult Males and Females
Authors: Paul J. Handal
John W. Lace
Publication date: 01-08-2017
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0343-3

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Differential Effects of Family Structure on Religion and Spirituality of Emerging Adult Males and Females

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