Australian adolescents' extracurricular activity participation and positive development: is the relationship mediated by peer attributes?

Blomfield, C.J. and Barber, B.L. (2010) Australian adolescents' extracurricular activity participation and positive development: is the relationship mediated by peer attributes? Australian Journal of Educational & Developmental Psychology, 10 . pp. 114-128.

Abstract

Adolescent participation in extracurricular activities is associated with numerous positive outcomes yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship are largely unknown. This study had two goals: to investigate the association between participation in extracurricular activities and indicators of positive and negative development for Australian adolescents; and to determine if these associations were mediated by the characteristics of adolescents’ friends. Extracurricular participation was positively associated with higher academic track enrolment university aspirations and school belonging and negatively associated with skipping school; participation in team sports was related to greater alcohol use. In addition friend characteristics were found to mediate the association between activity participation and developmental indicators.

Publication Type:	Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation:	School of Psychology
Publisher:	School of Education, Faculty of Education & Arts, University of Newcastle
Copyright:	School of Education, Faculty of Education & Arts, University of Newcastle
Publishers Website:	http://www.newcastle.edu.au/journal/ajedp/
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/3109

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