Data collection for the second wave of the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) now complete
The Wave 2 telephone survey and in-person interview guides are also now available.
View the W2 survey instrument [PDF]
View the W2 Interview Guide [PDF]
These MS Word 6.0 documents are provided for ease in copying questions. We are unable to guarantee the formatting in these Word documents and recommend the PDF files for general use.
View the W2 Interview Guide [DOC]
View the W2 Interview Guide [DOC]
Many questions asked of respondents in the Wave 2 survey and interview are similar to or the same as those in the Wave 1 instruments. Both waves include questions about:
- Religious practices and involvements
- Importance of faith
- Religious affiliations
- Teen's perspective on family relationships
- Media usage
- School and education
- Extracurricular and civic involvement
- Theological beliefs
- Dating and romantic relationships
- Delinquency and risk behaviors
- Morality
- Social well-being
Alterations to the Wave 2 survey instrument and interview guide were made to include age-appropriate phrasing and language to accommodate changes in the lives of the respondents as they move into adulthood. Questions exploring new topics were added to the instruments including:
- Educational and career aspirations
- Changes in household composition
- Marriage and cohabitation
- Pregnancy
As with the Wave 1 survey, there are important things to keep in mind when using the instrument: The survey utilizes very complex skip patterns and not all questions were asked of all respondents, depending on things like family structure and religious affiliations and practices.
The purpose of the National Study of Youth and Religion is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. youth; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent to which youth participate in and benefit from the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.
03-23-06