The Interest-Driven Pursuits of 15 Year Olds: "Sparks" and Their Association With Caring Relationships and Developmental Outcomes

Adar Ben-Eliyahu, Jean E. Rhodes, Peter Scales

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In this study, we examined the characteristics of adolescents' deep interests or "sparks," the role of relationships in supporting the development of sparks, and whether having a spark was associated with positive developmental outcomes. Participants included 1,860 15 years olds from across the United States who participated in the national Teen Voice survey (56% European American, N = 1,860). Profile-centered analyses suggested that sparks are characterized by the intensity of positive feelings, immersion, and utility. The strongest sparks were associated with pursuits requiring more interpersonal engagement, such as sports, drama and dance, participating in politics, and serving others. Spark intensity was related to better social, academic, and affective outcomes. Additionally, youth with stronger sparks reported more encouragement, financial support, and transportation to spark activities from parents, mentors, extended-family, neighbors, school-based adults, and peers. Benefits of adolescents' engagement in interest-driven activities and the role of caring relationships in supporting such interests are highlighted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)76-89
Number of pages14
JournalApplied Developmental Science
Volume18
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2014
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Connected Learning, the Best Buy Foundation, and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Applied Psychology
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Interest-Driven Pursuits of 15 Year Olds: "Sparks" and Their Association With Caring Relationships and Developmental Outcomes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this