Social Psychology & Adventure Therapy [blog 5]

Pick one of the outcome areas of AT research and link them to research in one or more of the following areas: Abnormal, Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive, Developmental, Learning, and Social.

The outcome that I was most interested in from the areas of AT research was Adventure Therapy and Self-Concept. In the book it talks about how much adolescents are continuously comparing and contrasting their behavior with that of their peers to develop their sense of self, based on the feedback they receive. When they are in groups of adolescents that are all working together for a single goal, there can sometimes be the problem of forming an negative self concept. Sometimes these groups can work in a different, negative way, instead of boosting self esteem and allow the individuals to build a positive self concept.

In a study of Self Concepts of Adolescents done by Khirade, self concept was defined as "one's attitude towards self" (Khirade, 2012). It was stated that proper guidance at this crucial phase of life, adolescence, is very important to the formation of this self concept or attitude towards oneself. Just as this study found that it is important to have guidance at this time in life, the research from AT also says..."Adolescents in crisis are often poor judges, which can lead to developing problems with the law, dropping out of school, becoming increasingly aggressive, and increased substance abuse. Because of these and other related factors, much of the research in AT has focused on the degree to which AT programs enhance the participant's self-concept" (Gass, Gillis, and Russel 2012).

Because we know that our self concept comes from the way we interact with others, they way we believe others view us, and the way we view ourselves, we are very easily convinced to believe certain things about ourselves, especially when we are not yet comfortable with who we are. This is definitely relevant in AT with groups of adolescents that are getting away from negative situations and trying to better themselves, the interactions that take place within that group can be very influential.

Jumping back to what the book says,"early studies on self-concept noted that AT programs significantly enhance the self-concept of adolescents by presenting challenges that are developmentally appropriate, in that they are concrete, attainable, and increase in difficulty and challenge as the intervention progresses" (Gass, Gillis, and Russel 2012). Do you see the benefits of presenting challenges to adolescents in order to enhance their self-concept?

According to the research done in AT about these Outward Bound wilderness challenge programs,  self-concept can be changed and the "greatest effects of the adventure programs in the area of self-concept domains were for independence, confidence, self-efficacy, and self understandings, and they were further enhanced during follow-up periods" (Gass, Gillis, and Russel 2012).






Citations

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H.L., Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Khirade, S.K. (2012). A Study of Self Concepts of the Adolescents. Indian Streams Research Journal, 2(8), 1-6.