Leisure Activity Preferences and Perceived Popularity in Early Adolescence (Report‪)‬

Introduction Perceived popularity is an important indicator of social status among peers in early adolescence (Cillessen & Rose, 2005). Perceived popularity refers to the extent to which peers view a person as 'popular' (Cillessen & Mayeux, 2004; De Bruyn & Van den Boom, 2005). Perceived popularity is associated with various inter- and intrapersonal factors in early adolescence, such as power and prestige (Adler & Adler, 1998; Corsaro & Eder, 1990), aggression (Cillessen & Mayeux, 2004), school achievement (De Bruyn & Cillessen, 2006; Rodkin, Farmer, Pearl, & VanAcker, 2000; Schwartz, Gorman, Nakamato, & McKay, 2006), and self-esteem (De Bruyn & Van den Boom, 2005). Adolescents spend more than half their waking time in some form of leisure activity (Cszikszentmihalyi & Larson, 1984; Larson & Richards, 1989; Larson & Verma, 1999). In the same way that peer status is connected to various outcomes in social development, leisure activities are related to adolescent self esteem, autonomy, and identity (Corsaro & Eder, 1990; Eder, 1985; Eder & Parker, 1987). One way to understand these effects of leisure activities is through the opportunities for peer interaction they provide; another is through the status and prestige that certain leisure activities may have in the peer group. Even though much is known about the correlates and consequences of popularity, little is known about the role of leisure activities in the dynamics of peer group status. The overarching goal of this study was to fill this gap.