Hobby

Science World, Feb 7, 2005 by Michael C. Bradbury

If you're looking for something new to do in your spare time, choose your next hobby wisely. Scientists have found that certain pastimes translate into more than just fun and games. They may also affect your performance in school.

Susan McHale, a psychologist at Penn State University, compared students' hobbies with their interest levels and grades in math and language arts. The results: Girls who played team sports earned high marks in math. For boys, playing a musical instrument equaled success in math. And, not surprisingly, all of the avid bookworms shined in language arts.

"This [study] suggests that everyday activities are a powerful force in teen development," says McHale.

Did You Know?

* For the Penn State University study, psychologist Susan McHale and her team of researchers collected data from 103 girls and 97 boys over a two-year period. At the beginning of the study, each test subject was about 10 years old, the firstborn in the family, and had at least one younger sibling. The researchers conducted home interviews and telephone interviews, asking test subjects questions about how much time they spent participating in 26 different types of leisure activities.

Resources

* To read psychologist Susan McHale's study, "Links Between Sex-Typed Time Use in Middle Childhood and Gender Development in Early Adolescence," go to: www.apa.org/journals/dev/featured_articles/september_2004/dev405868.pdf

* For a summary of the study, read this press release from Penn State University: www.psu.edu/ur/2004/middleschoolers.html