Showing papers by "Reed W. Larson published in 2003"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors inventoried adolescents' reports on different developmental and negative experiences in organized youth activities, including extracurricular and community-based activities, and found that youth activities were associated with experiences related to initiative, identity exploration and reflection, emotional learning, developing teamwork skills and forming ties with community members.
Abstract: This research inventoried adolescents' reports on different developmental and negative experiences in organized youth activities, including extracurricular and community-based activities. High school students' experiences were assessed using a newly developed instrument, the Youth Experiences Survey (YES). These youth reported higher rates of learning experiences in youth activities than in 2 other major contexts of their lives. Youth activities were associated with experiences related to initiative, identity exploration and reflection, emotional learning, developing teamwork skills, and forming ties with community members. The findings also suggest that different youth activities offer distinct patterns of learning experiences. Service, faith-based, community, and vocational activities were reported to be frequent contexts for experiences related to identity, prosocial norms, and links to adults. Sports were a frequent context for those related to identity work and emotional development.
819 citations
TL;DR: This paper conducted 10 focus groups aimed at getting high school students' descriptions of their "growth experiences" in extracurricular and community based-activities and found that adolescents described themselves as the agents of their own development and change.
Abstract: Little theory and research exists on the developmental processes that occur during adolescents' participation in extracurricular and community based-activities As a step in that direction, we conducted 10 focus groups aimed at getting high school students' descriptions of their “growth experiences” in these activities The youth reported both personal and interpersonal processes of development The personal experiences included experimentation and identity work, development of initiative skills such as learning to set goals and manage time, and learning strategies for emotional regulation The interpersonal experiences included acquiring new peer relationships and knowledge, developing group social skills such as taking responsibility and how to work together as a team, and developing valuable connections to adults Across domains, adolescents described themselves as the agents of their own development and change Youth activities appear to be a context in which adolescents are active producers of development
466 citations
TL;DR: Free time fills close to half of U.S. adolescents' waking hours, and this time has a mixed relationship to their well-being and development.
Abstract: Free time fills close to half of U.S. adolescents' waking hours, and this time has a mixed relationship to their well-being and development.
67 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the contextual constraints in adolescent leisure and synthesize the similarities and differences across cultures, focusing on the role of engagement and optimal experience of adolescents.
Abstract: EDITORS' NOTES (Suman Verma, Reed Larson). 1. Korean Adolescents' "Examination Hell" and Their Use of Free Time (Meery Lee). Examination stress contributes to the scarcity of active leisure and increased rates of depression and aggressive behavior among Korean adolescents. 2. Japanese Adolescents' Free Time: Juku, Bukatsu,and Government Efforts to Create More Meaningful Leisure (Hitoshi J. Nishino, Reed Larson). Japanese culture has stressed the use of free time for disciplined selfdevelopment activities, but efforts are under way to give adolescents more time for relaxed and creative leisure. 3. Cultural Continuity Amid Social Change: Adolescents' Use of Free Time in India (Suman Verma, Deepali Sharma). Indian adolescents' leisure activities reflect a confluence of tradition and modernity and continue to be divided along lines of class, setting (urban versus rural), and gender. 4. Adolescents' Leisure Time in the United States: Partying, Sports, and the American Experiment (Reed Larson, Sean Seepersad). Partying and sports, common leisure choices for American youth, illustrate the risks and opportunities that go with American teens' large quantity of free time. 5. Adolescent Leisure Across European Nations (August Flammer, Brigitta Schaffner). European adolescents' large amounts of free time are shaped by differences in culture, wealth, and school schedules across nations. 6. Italian Adolescents and Leisure: The Role of Engagement and Optimal Experience (Antonella Delle Fave, Marta Bassi). Leisure activities in which Italian adolescents experience a balance of challenge and skill provide optimal conditions for development. 7. Contextual Constraints on Adolescents' Leisure (Rainer K. Silbereisen). This concluding chapter focuses on the contextual constraints in adolescent leisure and synthesizes the similarities and differences across cultures. The author puts forward developmental implications for research and policy. INDEX.
38 citations
TL;DR: The Japanese government is making efforts to increase the amount of leisure in adolescents' lives by improving the quality of education, employment, and leisure in general.
Abstract: The Japanese government is making efforts to increase the amount of leisure in adolescents' lives.
21 citations