Abstract

A key area of interest for religious scholars is how religious beliefs are passed across generations, or religious socialization. To expand this field of study, a theoretically grounded, validated measure of this construct is needed. This article describes the development and validation of the Family Religious Socialization Index (FRSI), a multi-informant, multidimensional assessment of the processes through which parents socialize religion and faith in their children. Based on Social Cognitive Theory and through a rigorous development and validation process, three subscales were developed to represent the primary processes of religious socialization. The FRSI consists of two parallel scales, a parent and adolescent version, each containing the same three subscales. Each subscale can be completed by a parent-child dyad regarding processes of religious socialization. The scales are designed to be used with either or both members of the dyad. Development of these scales included initial item generation, expert assessments, item reduction analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. Preliminary evidence for the scales' construct, convergent, and discriminant validity and reliability are presented. The use cases for this measure in research on religion in families are discussed.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life

Rights

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