Individual differences in childhood religious experiences with peers

Childhood religious experiences with peers are important in the development of religiosity. However, peers' influence on these experiences has not been properly operationalized and measured. We addressed this limitation by developing the Childhood Religious Experiences with a Peer Inventory (CREPI). In Study 1 (n = 254), an act nomination procedure generated 106 items describing childhood religious experiences with a same-sex peer. These experiences were specific things that the peer said to, did to, or did with a participant during their childhood. In Study 2 (n = 458), participants indicated how frequently each item occurred in their childhood. Factor analysis yielded 27 items organized into three factors: Peer Proselytization, Shared Activities, and Peer Dialogue. The CREPI allows researchers to quantify peer influence on childhood religious experiences, enabling future investigation of whether and how these influences predict adult religiosity.