BOOK REVIEW

Jennifer A. Fredricks and Sandra D. Simpkins (eds): OrganizedOut-of-School Activities: Settings for Peer Relationships

New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, No. 140, Jossey-Bass,San Francisco, CA, 2013, 101 pp, ISBN: 978-111873575-6

Kaitlyn Focken

Received: 5 October 2013 / Accepted: 7 October 2013 / Published online: 15 October 2013

� Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

In Organized Out-of-School Activities: Settings for Peer

Relationships, editors Jennifer A. Fredricks and Sandra D.

Simpkins analyze research on how peers in organized out-

of-school activities shape the development of adolescents.

Fredricks and Simpkins explore a variety of research that is

focused particularly on youth 10–18 years of age. To

develop a deeper understanding of peer influence and the

impact of participation in out-of-school activities, Fre-

dricks and Simpkins begin by examining the reasons

organized activities are ideal settings to analyze peer

relations. Then, they include reviews from different authors

of theoretical and empirical research on peer relationships

in a variety of out-of-school activities and settings, and

how those peer relationships relate to variations in devel-

opmental outcomes across different types of activities.

Their review contains a helpful synopsis of the current

research available on peer influence and out-of-school

activities, while also noting areas where research is lacking

and how future studies could be better tailored to address

still unanswered questions.

In Chapter 1, Fredricks and Simpkins introduce theo-

retical perspectives and previous research in the area of

peer relations and the impact on participation in out-of-

school activities. In addition, they explore empirical evi-

dence on how participation in out-of-school activities

relates to indicators of positive development, such as aca-

demic achievement, educational attainment, occupational

status, self-esteem, and resilience. Fredricks and Simpkins

point out that there have only been a few studies on the link

between organized activities and peer relationships, but

that even so there are many similarities in the research

conducted for each literature independently. They also

mention that recent national studies indicate that over 70 %

of youth in the United States report participating in at least

one organized activity, indicating that many adolescents

may be affected by peer relations related to such activities.

This introductory chapter also addresses particular ques-

tions, such as why organized activities are an ideal setting

to study peers, how peer relations shape adolescents’ par-

ticipation in organized activities, and how organized

activities shape peer relations in positive ways. This

chapter helps the reader understand the context that the

future chapters are in and provides a great starting point of

analysis of peer relationships in organized out-of-school

activities.

In Chapter 2, which is written by Francois Poulin and

Anne-Sophie Denault, the authors assess research on how

participation in out-of-school activities with friends affects

those friendships. In particular, the authors explore the

quality of characteristics of friendships in out-of-school

activities, as well as the associations between involvement

in such activities and the education and behavioral

adjustments of adolescents. The study resulted in a finding

that friendships do exist within organized activities, but

that the features of the friendships vary across the different

types of organized activities that youth are involved in. For

example, studies show that group members are more likely

to have cohesion and stronger ties in team sport settings

than in individual settings, because team spirit is needed in

order for the team to work. As a result, the team sport

environment is more likely to encourage support among

friends than the individual sport setting. But, the research

also showed that youth involved in individual sports

reported that friends who co-participated with them were

more academically oriented that their friends who did not

participate with them in individual sports. The authors

K. Focken (&)

Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

e-mail: kfocken@indiana.edu; ktlynf357@gmail.com

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J Youth Adolescence (2014) 43:161–163

DOI 10.1007/s10964-013-0033-3

hypothesize that one explanation for this result may be that

youth who are involved in individual sports are, by defi-

nition, more focused on individual performance and com-

petition, and that this focus carries over into the academic

setting.

In addition to differences between individual and team

sport environments, the study also compared and analyzed

whether any differences were found between school-based

and community-based activities. The study found that youth

who participated in community-based activities and repor-

ted at least one friend who co-participated with them in

those activities had better grades and more positive self-

perceptions of academic ability than youth who did not

participate. However, the study found no differences for

school-based activities, which was somewhat surprising

since previous research had reported that school-based

friendships were more closely associated with adolescents’

academic achievement than out-of-school friendships

(Witkow and Fuligni 2010). The authors speculate that one

reason for this finding may be the positive quality of

friendships formed in the community-based context,

because their findings show that friends in the community-

based context tend to be more supportive and that these

friends tend to be more academically oriented, which may

then have a positive impact on the adolescent’s own func-

tioning. Or, another explanation presented by the authors is

that adolescents find having a friend in a community-based

activity to be more crucial than in school-based activities,

since in school-based activities adolescents typically will at

least have acquaintances participating with them, so having

peers they are familiar with might make not having friends

participating with them in that context as critical as in

community-based activities, where they may not know

anyone. Although the authors note that the research in this

section is subject to many limitations, they still provide an

informative discussion on friendships with co-participants

in organized out-of-school activities.

In Chapter 3, authors Andrea E. Vest and Sandra D.

Simpkins address the issue of sport participation and why

peer interactions in sports settings may lead to relationships

that are more prone to risky behavior. This chapter also

explores the specific area of teammate behavior, which is a

less-developed aspect of peer relations. This chapter is

appropriately titled: ‘‘When Is Sport Participation Risky or

Protective for Alcohol Use? The Role of Teammates,

Friendships, and Popularity.’’ The authors ultimately found

that while sport participation did not have a high correla-

tion to alcohol use when peer alcohol use was low, athletes

were likely to use alcohol if their sport friends and team-

mates had high alcohol use. The authors also made an

interesting point by noting that while athletes use more

alcohol than participants of other activities, they also tend

to have high academic achievement, high self-esteem, and

good emotional and physical health. Vest and Simpkins

also use Bandura (1989) social learning theory to help

explain peer influence on alcohol use. Bandura’s theory

suggests that adolescents’ behavior is ‘‘learned’’ through

social interactions. In other words, their behavior is shaped

by the behaviors of those around them. One of the main

findings of the study was that sport participation was

related to increased alcohol use, regardless of athletes’

popularity. The study also found that alcohol use depended

on friends’ and teammates’ alcohol use. Although the study

provided useful and interesting results, the authors noted

potential limitations and ideas for how future research

could be conducted differently. One such limitation noted

was that gathering information in this context can be dif-

ficult because one way for gaining the information is

through adolescents’ nomination of friends and examining

friend and teammate alcohol use, which may lead to biased

estimates. To try and combat this bias, the authors also

used social network data. Even so, as Vest and Simpkins

explain, many unanswered questions for future research

remain.

In Chapter 4, Amy M. Bohnert, Julie Wargo Aikens, and

Nicole T. Arola evaluate how involvement in out-of-school

activities impacts adolescent social adjustment as they

make the transition to high school. A major analysis in this

chapter considers whether continuity of participation in

five different types of organized activities (religious, aca-

demic, performance/arts, sports and community/service)

facilities social adjustment during the transition to high

school. The authors point out that transitions can be

stressful time periods for adolescents, and that organized

activities may provide environments that help adolescents

navigate this large, new setting. In addition, the authors

also caution that it would be improper to ignore parental

influence during this time as well as peer influence.

Although peer relationships become increasingly more

important during adolescence, parents still make up an

important part of adolescents’ lives, and influence of con-

tinuous participation in out-of-school activities may par-

tially be explained by parental involvement. Parents taking

an active role during earlier school years in getting their

children involved in out-of-school activities may foster an

interest in those activities that the student continues into

high school. This view supports the ‘‘social architect’’

theory, that parents can shape the kinds of peers their

children form friendships with and the experiences they are

likely to have by influencing the out-of-school activities

their children participate in.

In Chapter 5, author B. Bradford Brown examines three

features of out-of school organized activity settings that

may shape peer relations: (1) caricatures, (2) channels, and

(3) context for peer interactions. In addition, Bradford

provides a conceptual framework to aid in future research

162 J Youth Adolescence (2014) 43:161–163

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on how organized out-of-school activity characteristics

influence peer processes, and how these processes influ-

ence developmental outcomes for adolescents. When

examining organized activities as caricatures, Brown con-

siders the implications of image and reputation on identity

development and social adjustment in early adolescence.

Brown considers the idea that a given activity may carry

with it an expectation that participants behave a certain

way. This reputation helps establish an adolescent’s image

among peers, or caricature, even if the participant does not

completely conform to the activity’s stereotype. Brown

says that the studies in this volume should provide a lesson

that an activity’s caricature, and its impact on participants’

reputations, cannot be considered ‘‘generic.’’ Activities

vary across school settings, age, and status; it simply

depends on the particular setting of a specific activity.

Brown also indicates that an idea for future research would

be to study ‘‘desisters’’, or individuals who drop out of an

activity either voluntarily or through force by a competitive

entry process, and what kind of impact that has on ado-

lescents or peer relations.

In addition to caricatures, Brown also considers the chan-

neling function of organized activity, or the role that organized

activities can play in ‘‘channeling’’ a young person toward

certain peer relationships and away form others. Brown points

out that proximity remains a key factor in selecting and

maintaining close friendships during adolescence. In addition,

an organized activity that meets on a regular basis can provide

the adolescent with regular contact with a set of peers who

share a similar interest. This is another factor that can channel

friendship in an organized activity environment. On the flip

side, activities short in duration may make maintaining a peer

relationship more difficult. Brown argues that channeling

effects may be even more crucial at fragile junctures, such as

the transition to a new school. Finally, Brown considers how

organized activities can be contexts for peer interactions.

Organized activities, according to Brown, serve as an

‘‘ongoing locale’’ for peer relationships to function and grow.

Among other findings, Brown mentions that one interpretation

of the findings is that adolescents’ conformity to the peer

norms of an activity are contingent on the amount of time

spent in that context, or the length of involvement.

Overall, Organized Out-of-School Activities: Settings

for Peer Relationships examines many interesting studies

in the area of peer relationships in out-of-school activities.

The research conducted will be useful to anyone studying

adolescence or just interested in learning more about peer

relations and the impact these relationships have on orga-

nized out-of-school activities, and vice versa. The book

successfully accomplishes its goal of explaining why

organized activities provide an ideal setting to study peer

relationships, and the empirical research presented is both

informative and sometimes surprising. The authors do not

simply assume that previous findings are correct, and

occasionally even rebut previous research by approaching

topics from slighting different angles. By organizing the

research around key themes of peer groups, peer relation-

ships, and peer interactions, Fredricks and Simpkins have

created an enlightening educational piece that will hope-

fully help future research on the connection between

organized out-of-school activities and peer relationships

continue to improve.

References

Bandura, A. (1989). Human agency in social cognitive theory.

American Psychologist, 44, 1175–1184. doi:10.1037//0003-

066X.44.9.1175.

Witkow, M. R., & Fuligni, A. J. (2010). In-school versus out-of-school

friendships and academic achievement among an ethnically

diverse sample of adolescents. Journal of Research on Adoles-

cence, 20, 631–950. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00653.x.

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