Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Charles Silver
Charles is a Sophomore at Wesleyan University from Lake Forest, Illinois. At Wesleyan, he is a Chemistry Major and on the Men’s Lacrosse team. In the future, he plans on either attending medical school or pursuing a career in the health sciences.
Abstract: There are many options for youth entertainment and ways to spend time and scientists agree finding productive ways to fill that time is significant. This study aims to see whether there is a relationship between the number of extracurricular activities participated in and academic performance and if that relationship differs for different genders. The data was collected from the ADDHEALTH survey a nationally representative survey of adolescents aged 7-12 in the United States. The participation in extracurriculars per week was measured and found to be 9% in none, 16% in 1-2, 19% in 2-4, 22% in 4-6, 17% in 6-8, 10% in 8 or more times, and 8% in 10 or more times. A Chi-Squared analysis found a significant relationship between extracurriculars and increased academic performance. In addition, logistic regression also found a significance between extracurriculars and academic performance while also showing that males are less likely to have good grades and that gender is a moderator. Extracurricular activity participation may affect academic performance in adolescents and parents and schools may use this information to determine the value of extracurriculars and whether creating mandatory programs is beneficial. However, further research is needed to determine whether the association between them may be confounded by other factors such as household income or home life.
QAC-Poster-Charles-Silver