The Psychology of Moral, Attitudinal and Religious Development in Adolescence

Moral, attitudinal and religious development in adolescence is considered as one of the most significant subjects in developmental psychology which has been subject to many investigations and speculations. This research is another attempt which sets out to explain the moal and religious development in adolescence, basing its arguments on the findings of developmental psychology as well as those of educational psychology. Taking a new approach to the study of moral and attitudinal development in adolescence, the article seeks to advance a new theory on the formation stages and religious development. The ways adolescents interact with others in a society and the moral messages received in this process play a more significant role than the direct moral education offered to the adolescents in schools and universities by teachers or professors. In order to have a positive part in moral and religious development, parents and instructors have to establish a respectful relationships with young people. As a matter of fact, growing children and adolescents are in great need of guidance and this cannot be attained but through a mutual respectful relationships with young people, for moral and religious development have roots not only in the mental (intellectual) abilities but in the ways parents, instructors and people of the same age interact with them, along with various socio-cultural and emotional values interchanged. The dynamic synthesis of certain motivational, cognitive, emotional, social and cultural traits make young people be very succeptible for moral conduct, there by leading them to take precedence over moral values and to believe in God and everlasting human goodness and virtues. It should be noted that the first part of the article appears in this issue and the second part will appear in the next issue, because of the lengthy treatment of the subject in question.