Predictors and Benefits of Arts Engagement on Children’s Development

• In Event: Longitudinal, Experimental, and Population-Based Studies on the Impact of Arts Engagement on Child Development

Abstract

Previous research has shown the benefits of arts engagement (e.g. listening to/playing music, drawing, reading for enjoyment) on children’s development. It has been suggested that arts activities help reduce levels of depression and anxiety, enhance resilience, reduce socioemotional difficulties, improve academic outcomes, and foster language and communication skills. However, many of these studies have only focused on short-term arts projects and involved small non-representative samples. In light of this, we conducted a series of population-based studies of youth in the UK to explore whether arts engagement benefits the general population, whether frequency of arts engagement or individual ability in arts activities is associated with positive outcomes, and identify factors that predict children’s engagement in arts and cultural activities both in school and out of school.
Hypotheses:
Study 1. Given that there is a gap in the literature on the relationship between arts engagement and children’s self-esteem, we examined this and hypothesised that arts engagement helps improve children’s self-esteem.
Study 2. We hypothesised that arts ability has a positive effect on children’s adjustment (self-esteem and behavioural difficulties, independent of frequency of engagement (drawing upon Kaplan’s The General Theory of Deviant Behaviour).
Study 3. We hypothesised that socio-demographic factors predict children’s arts engagement level. However, these factors may vary between academic settings (often engaged compulsorily) and out-of-school time (usually engaged voluntarily).
Study population:
Study 1 used Millennium Cohort Study with 6209 children aged 11, Study 2 used the 1970 British Cohort Study with 4991-7700 children at age 10 with a follow-up at age 16, and Study 3 used data from Taking Part with a sample size of 1986 children aged 11-15.
Methods:
Study 1. Propensity score matching (PSM) technique was used to explore the relationship between arts engagement and self-esteem among children.
Study 2. OLS regression was applied to investigate the relationship between arts ability and adolescents’ self-esteem and behavioural difficulties.
Study 3. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between socio-demographic factors and arts and cultural engagement during school time and free time.
Results:
Study 1. Arts engagement was associated with higher levels of self-esteem when matching for all identified socio-demographic and familial confounders. The relationship was more prominent when children regularly engaged in these activities with their parents. However, there was no clear evidence that ability in arts activities moderated the relationship with self-esteem.
Study 2. Ability in the arts at age 10 was associated with a lower level of behavioural difficulties at age 16 independent of baseline behaviours, identified confounders and frequency of arts engagement. An association between arts ability and self-esteem was much weaker.
Study 3. Results show a social gradient for out-of-school engagement, but not for in-school engagement.
The results of these studies suggest that initiatives to promote arts engagement in children may provide a practical and efficient way to improve children’s self-esteem and that fostering art skills may in turn foster positive behavioural development. Furthermore, arts and cultural activities provided by schools are important to ensuring universal access to the arts amongst youth.

Authors

• Hei Wan Mak, University College London (UCL)
  Presenting Author

• Daisy Fancourt, University College London
  Non-Presenting Author