Extracurricular Participation, Collective Self-Esteem, and Academic Outcomes Among College Students

Abstract

Participating in extracurricular activities during college has been linked with positive peer relations and academic success (e.g., Astin, 1984; Stuart et al., 2011). Yet, less research has focused on identity development and collective self-esteem within extracurricular activities, or whether such positive attitudes about one’s activity membership are associated with academic outcomes. In the current study, analyses focused primarily on those who were in at least one activity (n = 109), who reported on friendships within their activity, perceptions of interdependence among members, and collective self-esteem within their activity, as well as their feelings of belonging on campus and grade point average. Regression analyses suggested that having friends in one’s activity (β = .33, p = .001) and higher interdependence (β = .51, p < .001) predicted higher collective self-esteem, with a total adjusted R2 = .44. In turn, greater collective self-esteem was associated marginally with higher feelings of belonging (β = .20, p = .07, adjusted R2 = .07) and grade point average for those in fraternities or sororities (interaction β = .34, p = .006; adjusted R2 = .17; simple slope for Greek organizations: β = .42, p = .07). These findings underscore the importance of considering different dimensions of extracurricular involvement (i.e., both whether one is involved, as well as positive feelings about one’s activity), and provide recommendations to student affairs professionals as to how activities may be structured to promote optimal outcomes during college.