Adolescent Spiritual Exemplars

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to develop theory about psychological constructs relevant to spiritual development in diverse adolescents. Exemplar and Consensual Qualitative Research methods were used to explore 30 interviews of adolescents aged 12 to 21 years ( M = 17.73 years) representing eight religions and six countries from around the world. Participants were nominated for living with profound spirituality within their own culture and completed semistructured interviews in their country of origin. After several iterations of analysis, participants’ discussions of spirituality in their lives were explored in terms of three dimensions of spirituality present in their lives: transcendence, fidelity, and behavior. Findings are considered in light of existing developmental theory, and implications for adolescent development are discussed.