EXPLORING RELIGIOUS CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR THROUGH CONFESSION, COGNITION, AND RITUAL PARTICIPATION: EVIDENCE FROM ROMANIAN HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

This study examines how denominational affiliation, cognitive orientation, gender, and religious consumption behavior interact to shape adolescents’ religious engagement in a predominantly Orthodox Romanian town. Based on a paper-based survey administered to 383 high school students (grades 9–12) across five urban schools in Turda, the research employs a quantitative design with single-item ordinal measures of prayer frequency, church attendance, faith-versus-reason orientation, perceived cost–benefit balance, denomination, gender, and self-reported purchases or participation in religious products and events. Statistical analyses (Mann–Whitney U, χ²) conducted in SPSS 26 reveal notable denominational differences: Pentecostal students are thirty times more likely than Orthodox peers to attend church weekly, twice as likely to pray daily, and significantly more engaged in religious consumption—such as buying devotional items or attending faith-based gatherings. Cognitive orientation adds further variation, as those prioritizing faith over reason are nearly three times more inclined to pray daily and more likely to consume religious goods or media. Gender effects are modest, with girls reporting higher prayer and slightly greater participation in faith-related consumption. Perceptions of religion’s costs and rewards remain stable, with two-thirds viewing religion as beneficial or balanced. These findings suggest that pastoral, educational, and marketing strategies should integrate spiritual practice with patterns of religious consumption, framing it as a meaningful expression of belief and identity. Religion thus emerges as both a personal resource and a structured form of value-driven consumption among adolescents in majority-Orthodox societies.