▁focused ▁mainly ▁on ▁ad oles c ence ▁and ▁started ▁to ▁branch ▁out ▁to ▁emer ging ▁ad ul th ood . ▁ ▁Ad oles c ence ▁ ▁Research ers ▁have ▁been ▁particularly ▁interested ▁in ▁studying ▁identity ▁during ▁ad oles c ence ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁development al ▁period ▁cru cial ▁to ▁identity ▁development . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁ad oles c ents ▁have ▁opportun ities ▁to ▁explore ▁their ▁eth nic , ▁cultural , ▁and ▁religious ▁trad itions . ▁However , ▁the ▁freedom ▁and ▁flex ibility ▁of ▁their ▁expl oration ▁is ▁typically ▁within ▁the ▁constraints ▁of ▁their ▁parents ▁or ▁care g iver . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁believed ▁that ▁religious ▁identity ▁and ▁participation ▁would ▁both ▁follow ▁the ▁same ▁traject ory ▁and ▁decrease ▁across ▁time ; ▁hence , ▁the ▁studies ▁that ▁exam ined ▁religious ness , ▁which ▁comb ines ▁the ▁two ▁construct s . ▁Although ▁religious ▁affili ation , ▁identity , ▁and ▁participation ▁are ▁closely ▁related , ▁longitud inal ▁research ▁on ▁ad oles c ents ▁suggests ▁that ▁these ▁construct s ▁have ▁different ▁traject ories ▁from ▁one ▁another . ▁For ▁example , ▁research ers ▁have ▁found ▁that ▁religious ▁affili ation ▁and ▁identity ▁for ▁ad oles c ents ▁remained ▁fairly ▁stable ▁across ▁the ▁high ▁school ▁years , ▁which ▁contradict s ▁the ▁expected ▁change ▁in ▁religious ▁affili ation ▁from ▁affili ated ▁to ▁una ff ili ated ▁and ▁decrease ▁in ▁religious ▁identity . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁stability ▁of ▁ad oles cent ▁religious ▁identity ▁par alle ls ▁that ▁of ▁other ▁social ▁ident ities ▁such ▁as ▁eth nic ▁identity . ▁Research ers