Stability and change in religious attitudes: Evidence from an adult and an adolescent sample

The present study examined continuity and change in the religious attitudes measured by the Post-Critical Belief Scale (PCBS) using longitudinal adult (N = 475) and adolescent (N = 613) data. Analyses indicated measurement and structural stability in both samples and small- to medium-sized mean-level changes in, respectively, the adult and adolescent sample. Differential stability was moderate among adolescents and high among adults. Findings offer evidence for the usefulness of the PCBS in longitudinal research. Moreover, results indicate that, with increasing age, a shift from more narrow-minded or literal religious attitudes towards more open-minded or symbolic attitudes occurs. Finally, consistent with the assumption that religious attitudes are deep-rooted aspects of the individual, religious attitudes seemed more likely to change during adolescence than during adulthood.