Explore how the peer relationship and extracurricular organized activities like sports, the arts, and community-based organizations influence academic functioning, social development, and problem behavior. This volume shows how out-of-school activity offers an ideal context to study peer processes, and to explore both how and why peers matter for organized activity participation. Starting with the theoretical and empirical research on peers and organized activities, it goes on to address several questions including: Does co-participating in an organized activity with your friend improve the quality of the relationship? When do peer relations amplify the benefits of participating and when do they exacerbate negative outcomes? Does participation in organized activities help adolescents manage difficult transition periods? Finally, the volume concludes with a conceptual framework to guide future research on how organized activity characteristics influence peer processes and how these processes within organized activity contexts influence outcomes for adolescents. This is the 140th volume in this series. Its mission is to provide scientific and scholarly presentations on cutting edge issues and concepts in child and adolescent development. Each volume focuses on a specific new direction or research topic and is edited by experts on that topic.

Explore how the peer relationship and extracurricular organizedactivities--like sports, the arts, and community-basedorganizations--influence academic functioning, socialdevelopment, and problem behavior. This volume shows howout-of-school activity offers an ideal context to study peerprocesses, and to explore both how and why peers matter fororganized activity participation.Starting with the theoretical and empirical research on peersand organized activities, it goes on to address several questionsincluding:* Does co-participating in an organized activity with your friendimprove the quality of the relationship?* When do peer relations amplify the benefits of participatingand when do they exacerbate negative outcomes?* Does participation in organized activities help adolescentsmanage difficult transition periods?Finally, the volume concludes with a conceptual framework toguide future research on how organized activity characteristicsinfluence peer processes and how these processes within organizedactivity contexts influence outcomes for adolescents.This is the 140th volume in this series. Its mission is toprovide scientific and scholarly presentations on cutting edgeissues and concepts in child and adolescent development. Eachvolume focuses on a specific new direction or research topic and isedited by experts on that topic.

1. Organized Out-of-School Activities and Peer Relationships:Theoretical Perspectives and Previous Research 1Jennifer A. Fredricks, Sandra D. SimpkinsThis introductory chapter describes reasons why organizedactivities offer an ideal setting to study peer processes andreviews theoretical perspectives and previous empirical researchrelevant to this topic.2. Friendships with Co-Participants in Organized Activities:Prevalence, Quality, Friends' Characteristics, andAssociations with Adolescents' Adjustment 19François Poulin, Anne-Sophie DenaultThe authors examine the extent to which adolescents participatein activities with their friends, the quality of characteristics ofthese activity friendships, and the association between activityinvolvement and educational and behavioral adjustment.3. When Is Sport Participation Risky or Protective for AlcoholUse? The Role of Teammates, Friendships, and Popularity 37Andrea E. Vest, Sandra D. SimpkinsThe authors explore the extent to which popularity,friends' alcohol use, and teammates' alcohol use alterthe link between sport participation and alcohol use.4. Regrouping: Organized Activity Involvement and Social AdjustmentAcross the Transition to High School 57Amy M. Bohnert, Julie Wargo Aikins, Nicole T. ArolaThe authors examine the relation between the continuity ofparticipation in five different types of organized activities andsocial adjustment across the transition to high school.5. Adolescents, Organized Activities, and Peers: KnowledgeGained and Knowledge Needed 77B. Bradford BrownA conceptual framework for future research on how organizedactivity characteristics infl uence peer processes, and how theseprocesses influence outcomes for adolescents is presented.INDEX 9