▁principles ▁to ▁live ▁out . ▁These ▁found ations ▁can ▁come ▁to ▁shape ▁an ▁individual ' s ▁identity . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁imp lications ▁that ▁religion ▁has ▁on ▁identity ▁development , ▁the ▁identity ▁formation ▁literature ▁has ▁mainly ▁focused ▁on ▁eth nic ity ▁and ▁gender ▁and ▁has ▁largely ▁disc ount ed ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁religion . ▁Nevertheless , ▁an ▁increasing ▁number ▁of ▁studies ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁include ▁religion ▁as ▁a ▁factor ▁of ▁interest . ▁However , ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁studies ▁use ▁religious ▁identity , ▁religios ity , ▁and ▁religious ness ▁inter change ably ▁or ▁sole ly ▁focus ▁on ▁religious ▁identity ▁and ▁sole ly ▁religious ▁participation ▁as ▁separate ▁construct s . ▁ ▁Of ▁these ▁types ▁of ▁research ▁studies , ▁research ers ▁have ▁exam ined ▁the ▁various ▁factors ▁that ▁affect ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁one ' s ▁religious ▁identity ▁over ▁time . ▁Fact ors ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁to ▁affect ▁levels ▁of ▁religious ▁identity ▁include ▁gender , ▁eth nic ity , ▁and ▁gener ational ▁status . ▁ ▁' Identity ' ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁used ▁terms ▁in ▁the ▁social ▁sciences ▁and ▁has ▁different ▁sens es ▁in ▁different ▁research ▁parad ig ms . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁psych ological ▁studies , ▁soci olog ists ▁and ▁anth rop olog ists ▁also ▁apply ▁the ▁term ▁' rel ig ious ▁identity ' ▁and ▁examine ▁its ▁related ▁processes ▁in ▁given ▁social ▁context s . ▁For ▁example , ▁one ▁important ▁study ▁conducted ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁after ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁expl ored ▁the