Spiritual Development across the Adult Life-course: Findings from a Longitudinal Study
Abstract
Longitudinal data spanning early (30s) and older (late 60s/mid-70s) adulthood were used to study spiritual development across the adult life course in a sample of men and women belonging to a younger (born 1928/29) and an older (born 1920/21) age cohort. All participants, irrespective of gender and cohort, increased significantly in spirituality between late middle (mid-50s/early 60s) and older adulthood. Members of the younger cohort increased in spirituality throughout the adult life cycle. In the second half of adulthood, women increased more rapidly in spirituality than men. Spiritual involvement in older age was predicted by religious involvement and personality characteristics in early adulthood and subsequent experiences of negative life events.
Department
Sociology
Publication Date
1-1-2002
Journal Title
Journal of Adult Development
Publisher
Springer
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Paul Wink & Michele Dillon. 2002. “Spiritual Development across the Adult Life-course: Findings from a Longitudinal Study.”Journalof AdultDevelopment 9: 79-94.
Rights
© Plenum Publishing Corporation 2002