This study examined religious identity as a mediator and moderator between religious socialization by parents, peers, and religious mentors and psychosocial functioning (i.e., social competence, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems) among 155 Korean American adolescents. Religious socialization by parents and peers were positively associated with adolescents' religious identity and social competence. Religious identity fully mediated the relationship between religious socialization by parents and social competence, and partially mediated the relationship between religious socialization by peers and social competence. A competing model with religious identity as a moderator found adolescents with low religious identity showed significantly more externalizing behavior problems when they received more religious socialization from parents. © 2012 American Psychological Association.

Social competence Religious socialization Korean American adolescents religious identity problem behaviors

Models, Psychological Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic psychological model psychological aspect Social Identification human epidemiology Christianity socialization child behavior religion United States Young Adult Humans Adolescent Asian Americans male Emigrants and Immigrants Asian American female Religion and Psychology questionnaire Article Adolescent Behavior Questionnaires adult migration social behavior Child