What happens to campers at camp?

Camping Magazine, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Gwynn M. Powell

How Do We Explain Social Comparisons to Others?

In order to evaluate our emotions and abilities, we need to compare ourselves with other people. There are two types of social comparisons, both of which can be helpful. Upward comparisons occur when we compare ourselves with others who are better off. This gives us information as well as clues about successful coping, providing hope, motivation, and inspiration. Downward comparisons are a cognitive coping mechanism where people compare themselves to less-fortunate others in order to make them feel better about their own situation ("although my situation is/was bad, at least it's not as bad as some other situations").

However, if the comparison group is dissimilar, negative emotions can occur. For example, if you are an intermediate level tennis player, and you compare yourself with Andre Agassi, it may frustrate you. But if you compare yourself with another intermediate level tennis player, you may experience the positive benefits described above.

Children with cancer or other chronic illnesses may only be able to compare themselves with their "healthy" peers, which can result in feelings of sadness, frustration, and isolation. Thus, there is a need to provide children with chronic illnesses an environment where they do not feel different from their peers. Camp provides this environment in an intensive and focused way. Camps allow children to make more realistic comparisons, teaching children the coping skills necessary for living with cancer or other illnesses, as well as providing positive role models.

The Voice of the Campers--Research Findings Through Qualitative Data Collection

M. Deborah Bialeschki, Ph.D., (moon@email.unc.edu); Amy Krehbiel, M.S.R.A.; Karla Henderson, Ph.D., The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; and Dawn Ewing, Morry's Camp

Camp professionals and researchers inherently believe that "Camp Gives Kids a World of Good[R]," yet the general public, foundations board members, and parents want to see proof that camp is positive influencing campers' lives. Staff at Morry's Camp were interested in the outcome process and partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) to conduct a four-year longitudinal study of one group of campers.

Morry's Camp is a year-round youth development organization that provides each child with a multiyear commitment anchored in a residential summer camp experience. The children, for whom these experiences would not otherwise be available, benefit from a network of support that is focused on social skills, enhanced self-esteem, positive core values, and a greater sense of personal responsibility. The research team used a mixed-methods approach to gather data from the campers and parents to examine the camp mission and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate what campers were gaining from the camp experience--from the camper's perspective.

Description of the Research Process

The longitudinal study began during the 2002 summer season and followed thirty "frosh," fifth grade campers throughout the school year. The qualitative data were gathered through summer journals, year-round journal entries, and camper focus groups. During the summer, the campers answered questions in their journals, such as: "How has camp made you a better person?" "What are your future goals?" "What at camp has helped you with the way you think of yourself?" The campers continued to answer monthly journal questions throughout the school year. Examples of the type of questions asked were: "How has Morry's Camp made you different from other kids at school?" "What did you learn at Morry's Camp about how to treat others?" "Describe a time when you were angry and what you did because you were angry."