The effects of a psychoeducational program on adolescents' activity involvement, self-esteem, and locus of control

Adolescents' participation in extracurricular activities is related to a number of variables, such as higher grade point average, increased self-esteem, and lower absenteeism. This research, part of a larger longitudinal study, was designed to determine whether a short, psychoeducational intervention, the personal empowerment program, would affect adolescents' level of involvement in activities, their self-esteem, or their locus of control. Fifty-two ninth-grade students who were average participators were randomly selected and assigned to either the empowerment program or control group. Students were surveyed six months after the program. Analyses of covariance using pretest scores as the covariates indicated that students who participated in the program maintained their level of activity involvement during the transition to high school, a time when participation generally decreases. The program did not produce significant changes in self-esteem or locus of control. Implications for future research are discussed.