Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 6, 2025
08:27
Applying an eMASS Customization Program as a Research Tool to Evaluate Consumer Benefits
Published on: September 27, 2019
7.0K
Do extracurricular activities contribute to better adolescent outcomes? A fixed-effects panel data approach
Martin O'Flaherty1, Janeen Baxter1, Alice Campbell1
1Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course, Institute for Social Science Research, University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia.
Journal of Adolescence
|June 27, 2022
Summary
Extracurricular activities like sports and arts benefit adolescent mental health and peer interactions. However, effects on academic achievement are minimal, and initial associations may be influenced by unobserved factors.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health and Development
- Behavioral Science
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- Extracurricular activities are linked to positive adolescent outcomes.
- Previous research may overstate participation effects due to unobserved confounding.
- Understanding true participation effects is crucial for adolescent well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal effects of extracurricular activity participation on adolescent outcomes.
- To differentiate participation effects from unobserved confounding factors.
- To examine the impact of sports and arts on academic, health, and behavioral measures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 3885 Australian adolescents aged 12-15.
- Employed fixed-effects regression models to control for unobserved confounding.
- Analyzed participation in team sports, individual sports, and arts.
Main Results:
- Bivariate analyses showed strong associations between activities and positive outcomes.
- Fixed-effects analyses revealed smaller, yet significant, benefits of sports for mental health.
- Arts participation showed significant positive effects on peer group characteristics.
- Minimal impact of extracurricular activities on academic achievement was observed.
Conclusions:
- Extracurricular sports participation positively influences adolescent mental health.
- Arts engagement is linked to improved adolescent peer group characteristics.
- Careful consideration of confounding factors is necessary when evaluating extracurricular activity impacts.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
123
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
123
01:50Cross-Sectional Research
11.8K
In cross-sectional research, a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. If they were interested in people's dietary habits, the researcher might directly compare different groups of people by age. Instead of following a group of people for 20 years to see how their dietary habits changed from decade to decade, the researcher would study a group of 20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old...
11.8K
01:26Longitudinal Studies
228
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
228
02:20Longitudinal Research
12.4K
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
12.4K
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
85
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
85
01:17Factors Affecting Activity Coefficient
909
The extended Debye-Hückel equation indicates that the activity coefficient of an ion in an aqueous solution at 25°C depends on three partially interdependent properties: the ionic strength of the solution, the charge of the ion, and the ion size.
The activity coefficient value for an ion is close to one when the solution has almost zero ionic strength, i.e., when the solution shows close to ideal behavior. As the ionic strength of the solution increases from 0 to 0.1 mol/L, a...
The activity coefficient value for an ion is close to one when the solution has almost zero ionic strength, i.e., when the solution shows close to ideal behavior. As the ionic strength of the solution increases from 0 to 0.1 mol/L, a...
909