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Newswise WASHINGTON Adolescents who attend religious services with one or both of their parents are more likely to feel greater well-being while romantic partners who pray for their significant others experience greater relationship commitment, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

These were among the findings of studies published in two special sections of APAs Journal of Family Psychology looking at how spiritual beliefs or behaviors have appeared to strengthen generally happy marriages and how a persons religious and/or spiritual functioning may influence that of his or her family members.

These studies exemplify an emerging subfield called relational spirituality, which focuses on the ways that diverse couples and families can rely on specific spiritual beliefs and behaviors, for better or worse, to motivate them to create, maintain and transform their intimate relationships, according to Annette Mahoney, PhD, of Bowling Green State University, and Annamarie Cano, PhD, of Wayne State University, who edited special sections in the December and October issues of the journal. Hopefully, publishing these articles will spur more research on ways that religion and spirituality can help or harm couples and families relationships and encourage more interchange between family psychology and the psychology of religion and spirituality.

The December issue features five studies that offer novel insights into how religiosity or spiritualism affect childrens development and influence the importance of religion in their own lives.

The October section comprises four studies that focus on the ways that couples can draw on religious/spiritual beliefs and behaviors to transform their unions and help them cope with adversity. Each of the studies in the October special section moves beyond general measures of peoples involvement in organized religion or spirituality and investigates specific spiritual beliefs or behaviors that appear to influence marital adjustment and human development, according to APA President Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, editor of the Journal of Family Psychology. All the studies present rigorous research into the roles that religion and spirituality can play in enhancing family well-being.

Articles in the December issue:

Religious Socialization in African-American Families: The Relative Influence of Parents, Grandparents, and Siblings by Ian A. Gutierrez, MA, University of Connecticut; Lucas J. Goodwin, MA, New York University; Katherine Kirkinis, MA, Teachers College, Columbia University; and Jacqueline S. Mattis, PhD, New York University. Looking at three generations, the researchers found that mothers have the most consistently positive influence on the religious lives of their children because they are socialized to transmit critical values, beliefs and practices across generations, and because they embrace norms of femininity that reinforce such roles. Additionally, grandparents especially grandmothers play a significant role in the religious socialization of grandchildren in African-American families, according to this research. Contact: Ian Gutierrez at ian.gutierrez@uconn.edu

Neighborhood Disorder, Spiritual Well-Being and Parenting Stress in African American Women by Dorian A. Lamis, PhD, and Christina K. Wilson, PhD, Emory University School of Medicine; Nicholas Tarantino, MA, Georgia State University; Jennifer E. Lansford, PhD, Duke University; and Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, Emory University School of Medicine Low-income African-American women who were primary caregivers of children between 8 and 12 and lived in disorderly neighborhoods experienced lower levels of parenting stress if they exhibited existential and/or religious well-being, according to this study. Contact: Nadine Kaslow at nkaslow@emory.edu

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Religion or Spirituality Has Positive Impact on Romantic/Marital Relationships, Child Development, Research Shows