Psychologists have often observed an underlying pattern or theme in the accounts that individuals give of their lives. To test a humanistic-existential approach to human development, 48 women were interviewed with the Loss and Transcendence (L/T) Life History Form. The L/T Life Theme is expressed in two ways: the expanded version includes the…

This paper summarizes European views on adventure therapy and therapeutic outdoor activities. Opening sections list the elements of outdoor adventure education and current trends affecting its development and direction, describe the mission and activities of the European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning, and note…

This paper describes an approach to wilderness education that facilitates a productive dialogue between the individual and elements of nature. During a 7- to 10-day period, participants are guided into intimate interactions with the elements of nature through body movement. Daily activities involve meditation, sensory activities, kinesthetic…

The nation's schools face difficult problems that must be solved if they are to continue serving our society constructively and effectively. The two hundred years of our country's history demonstrate that in the past the schools have met new needs and have responded well to growing demands for education. An examination of several of the problems…

In the next century there will be a critical need for diverse groups of people to have positive social relationships and share diminishing resources. The movement toward equality involves more than passing laws that mandate equality; it involves the restructuring of primitive beliefs within individuals and whole communities. Experience-based…

This paper examines the relationship between outdoor recreation and environmental education. Observations of resident environmental education centers in Minnesota and of recreational programs on U.S. Forest Service lands found that, to the extent that planned and unplanned outcomes can be equated, the two types of programs seemed to produce the…

This paper calls attention to parallels in the literature of adventure education and that of Gestalt therapy, demonstrating that both are rooted in an experiential tradition. The philosophies of adventure or experiential education and Gestalt therapy have the following areas in common: (1) emphasis on personal growth and the development of present…

In response to empirical evidence that suggests that children use more than one strategy in transitive inference tasks, an effort was made to model strategy development as it occurs under the dual constraints of a concept of order and task demands. In the model, when a task is presented, procedural memory is searched for a strategy that is…

Means-end analysis was used to examine the linkages between elements of an Outward Bound course and the personal benefits and outcomes obtained or reinforced by course completion. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 216 persons, who completed a course at the North Carolina Outward Bound School. Respondents were aged 14-66 (83…

This paper introduces the notion of a spiritual component of adventure, with reference to the potential role of adventure within the peace and reconciliation process in Northern Ireland. Influenced by tradition and culture, past constructions of adventure have often associated it with educational benefits and personal development of specific…

The experiences found in adventure programs often parallel the archetypes depicted in mythological quests. Drawing on the work of Joseph Campbell, the stages and trials of adventure participants are compared to similar rites of passage and epic adventures experienced by heroes and heroines in epic literature and mythology. The basic pattern of…

Adventure-based programs may be designed in a way that not only provides an intervention aimed at therapy or development, but also teaches participants to become their own agents of change. McWhirter's model proposes that empowerment is broader than notions of personal autonomy and efficacy, reaching outside the individual. The model specifies…

Kurt Hahn valued the adventure ethic for the qualities of character it developed, but his particular concern was the development of personal and social responsibility and compassion. Samaritan service is the key element in institutions, such as the Round Square Conference Schools, founded or inspired by the mature Hahn. (JHZ)

Beyond the Limits, a program of the Wicomico County school system (Maryland), conducts 1-day adventure experiences that use a challenge ropes course and classroom experiential activities to develop students' intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Before the experience, all participants agree to the "full value commitment," which is a…

Community-based organizations that worked effectively with urban youth were found to resemble experiential education programs. The finding was remarkable because the organizations did not identify themselves as places where experiential education took place. A study of four organizations examined ways in which they help youth to become more…