The Eccles' expectancy-value model posits that a cascade of mechanisms explain associations between parents' beliefs and youths' achievement-related behaviors. Specifically, parents' beliefs predict parents' behaviors; in turn, parents' behaviors predict youths' motivational beliefs, and youths' motivational beliefs predict their behaviors. This…

Discriminant function analysis assessed the predictive relevance of nine characteristics measured in sixth grade for differentiating among social identities claimed 4 years later by 616 participants in the Michigan Study of Life Transitions. For females, the first discriminant function, associated with academic motivation, self-esteem, and…

This study analyzed change in sport competence beliefs, perceived value of athletics, and self-esteem, employing a 3-year longitudinal sample of children. Data came from a 10-year longitudinal study of the development and socialization of children's competence-related beliefs, valuing of different achievement activities, and self-esteem. The study…

This study examined whether organized sports participation during childhood and adolescence was related to participation in sports and physical fitness activities in young adulthood. The data were from the Michigan Study of Adolescent Life Transitions. The analyses include more than 600 respondents from three waves of data (age 12, age 17, and age…

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the associations between a variety of measures of extracurricular participation and indicators of youth development. We use data from the Childhood and Beyond Study, a larger longitudinal study of adolescent development. The sample is primarily White middle-class adolescents in Grades 7…

Conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 41 adolescents talented in sports or the arts to study the importance of peer relationships in their continued involvement in their talent activities, sex differences in attitudes, and possible differences by activity domain. Peers generally played a supportive role, although females were more…

In this study, we examined the associations between organized activity participation during early adolescence and adjustment in a large and economically diverse sample of African American and European American youth. The sample included 1,047 youth (51% female and 49% male and 67% African American and 33% European American). We used analysis of…

Change over three years in the competence beliefs and subjective task values in the domains of reading, mathematics, instrumental music, and sports was studied with approximately 615 predominantly white, middle-class elementary school children. There was moderate to strong stability in their beliefs. Exceptions and gender differences are…

Examined gender differences in 514 children's competence and value beliefs from first through twelfth grade, and the relation of these trends to initial differences in parents' perceptions of children's ability. Found that gender differences in competence and value beliefs related to sports and mathematics. Gender differences in competence beliefs…

Examined relations among parenting dimensions and adolescents' occupational aspirations related to academics and sports. Found that parents' values predicted youths' values directly in the academic domain. Fathers' behaviors mediated the relation between parents' and youths' sports values. Identification was directly related to adolescents'…

Examined factors that influence adolescents' commitments to extracurricular activities over time. Found that psychological factors of perceived competence and peer relationships, as well as contextual factors of perceived challenge, cost, benefits, and emerging identity, were decisive in adolescents' choice to remain involved in activities or…