The purpose of this study is to examine, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the effect of a two-week adventure recreation program on early adolescent identity development. The study also investigates the influence of gender and the parent-adolescent relationship on this process. Participants in this study included 44 males and 47 females, ages 11-17 (M = 13.4, SD = 1.03), from three western states. Twenty-two males and 23 females participated in the treatment group and the remaining 22 males and 24 females served as controls. The treatment group completed a two-week adventure recreation program, Camp WILD. The program consisted of three different activity areas: backpacking, exploration (e.g., mountain biking, leadership training, wilderness skills, and environmental education) and white water rafting. The quantitative results supported the hypothesis that the adventure recreation program would promote positive adolescent identity development. The data also indicated only limited differences between the developmental impact of the program on males and female participants and that the child-parent relationship exerted only a slight influence on the interaction between the program and identity development. The qualitative data provided further insight into the mechanisms underlying the positive relationship between the adventure recreation program and participants' identity development.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study is to examine, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the effect of a two-week adventure recreation program on early adolescent identity development. The study also investigates the influence of gender and the parent-adolescent relationship on this process. Participants in this study included 44 males and 47 females, ages 11-17 (M = 13.4, SD = 1.03), from three western states. Twenty-two males and 23 females participated in the treatment group and the remaining 22 males and 24 females served as controls. The treatment group completed a two-week adventure recreation program, Camp WILD. The program consisted of three different activity areas: backpacking, exploration (e.g., mountain biking, leadership training, wilderness skills, and environmental education) and white water rafting. The quantitative results supported the hypothesis that the adventure recreation program would promote positive adolescent identity development. The data also indicated only limited differences between the developmental impact of the program on males and female participants and that the child-parent relationship exerted only a slight influence on the interaction between the program and identity development. The qualitative data provided further insight into the mechanisms underlying the positive relationship between the adventure recreation program and participants' identity development.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Duerden, Mathew David"],"institution":"Brigham Young University - Provo","degree_name":"MS","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:27:55Z","subjects":["identity development","adventure recreation","early adolescents","youth development","Recreation Business"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/458","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Duerden, Mathew David"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2006-07-06T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Brigham Young University - Provo"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["identity development","adventure recreation","early adolescents","youth development","Recreation Business"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/458","https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/context/etd/article/1457/viewcontent/ETD_CISOPTR_678.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Marriott School of Management; Recreation Management","Health and Human Performance;Recreation Management and Youth Leadership
"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study is to examine, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the effect of a two-week adventure recreation program on early adolescent identity development. The study also investigates the influence of gender and the parent-adolescent relationship on this process. Participants in this study included 44 males and 47 females, ages 11-17 (M = 13.4, SD = 1.03), from three western states. Twenty-two males and 23 females participated in the treatment group and the remaining 22 males and 24 females served as controls. The treatment group completed a two-week adventure recreation program, Camp WILD. The program consisted of three different activity areas: backpacking, exploration (e.g., mountain biking, leadership training, wilderness skills, and environmental education) and white water rafting. The quantitative results supported the hypothesis that the adventure recreation program would promote positive adolescent identity development. The data also indicated only limited differences between the developmental impact of the program on males and female participants and that the child-parent relationship exerted only a slight influence on the interaction between the program and identity development. The qualitative data provided further insight into the mechanisms underlying the positive relationship between the adventure recreation program and participants' identity development.
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"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study is to examine, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the effect of a two-week adventure recreation program on early adolescent identity development. The study also investigates the influence of gender and the parent-adolescent relationship on this process. Participants in this study included 44 males and 47 females, ages 11-17 (M = 13.4, SD = 1.03), from three western states. Twenty-two males and 23 females participated in the treatment group and the remaining 22 males and 24 females served as controls. The treatment group completed a two-week adventure recreation program, Camp WILD. The program consisted of three different activity areas: backpacking, exploration (e.g., mountain biking, leadership training, wilderness skills, and environmental education) and white water rafting. The quantitative results supported the hypothesis that the adventure recreation program would promote positive adolescent identity development. The data also indicated only limited differences between the developmental impact of the program on males and female participants and that the child-parent relationship exerted only a slight influence on the interaction between the program and identity development. The qualitative data provided further insight into the mechanisms underlying the positive relationship between the adventure recreation program and participants' identity development.
"],"dc:format":["application:pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/458","https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/context/etd/article/1457/viewcontent/ETD_CISOPTR_678.pdf"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["Brigham Young University - Provo"],"dc:source":["Brigham Young University - Provo"],"dc:subject":["identity development","adventure recreation","early adolescents","youth development","Recreation Business"],"dc:title":["An Examination of the Relationship Between Adventure Recreation and Adolescent Identity Development"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:27:55Z"}