Consequences of Summertime for Adolescent Development

Investigator: Joseph Mahoney

Graduate Student Researchers: Maria Parente, Briana Hinga, Adam Sheppard

Funding: National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

This project involves secondary data analysis of the Child Development Supplement (CDS) to the Panel Study for Income Dynamics (PSID) to investigate how youth spend the summer months and the potential impact of this time use on adolescents' developmental outcomes. The investigation has two primary aims:

(1) To develop knowledge about activities and arrangements that adolescents experience during summertime. Although research has begun to elucidate the developmental settings in which youth spend their time during the school year, very little is known about summertime. The first aim of this investigation is to begin filling this knowledge gap by identifying youth involvement in salient activities (e.g., organized activities [sports, extracurricular activities, after-school programs] and paid employment) and arrangements (e.g., self-care, parent/relative care) during the summer. Differences in participation according to demographic, individual, and familial factors are of interest.

(2) To assess relations between participation in summertime activities/arrangements and adolescent adjustment during the school year. Out-of-school time has important implications for adolescents' academic, social, civic, and physical development. However, this research is generally limited to out-of-school settings assessed during the school year. Little is known about whether the summertime activities/arrangements that youth experience have implications for their development. The second aim of this investigation is to examine relations between youths' summer activities/arrangements and broad indicators of their subsequent adjustment during the following school year (i.e., obesity, psychological and emotional well-being, academic achievement, and social behavior problems). Moderating factors and mediating processes that may explain adjustment-related differences across activity/arrangement types and individuals are of interest.