Refining a Survey to Explore the Contribution of Extracurricular Activities to Sex Differences in Cognitive Development

• In Event: Innovative Approaches to Measuring Cognitive and Learning Development

Abstract

Extracurricular activities can have profound impact on cognitive development. This effect is believed to be stronger for spatial-related skills, which are rarely cultivated in formal education. Gendered preferences for extracurricular activities are believed to contribute to sex-based differences in spatial ability among youth and adults. In this study, a large sample of parents completed a survey about the frequency with which their children (ages 7 to 13) participate in (or play) one of 62 hobbies, sports, and videogames. We used factor analysis and discriminant analysis to try to identify clusters of activities that contribute to sex differences in extracurricular activities. This psychometric work has implications for understanding the cognitive development of children.

Authors

• Daniel O. Oyeniran, University of Alabama

• Joni M. Lakin, University of Alabama