title: The role of peer groups in male and female adolescents' task values and physical activity.
abstract: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the role of peer groups and sex in adolescents' task values and physical activity. The participants were 330 Finnish Grade 6 students (173 girls, 157 boys), who responded to questionnaires that assessed physical education task values during the spring semester (Time 1). Students' physical activity was assessed one year later (Time 2). The results indicated that adolescent peer groups were moderately homogeneous in terms of task values toward physical education and physical activity. Girls' peer groups were more homogeneous than those of boys in regards to utility and attainment values. Furthermore, the results for both girls and boys showed that particularly intrinsic task value typical for the peer group predicted group members' physical activity. The findings highlight the important role of peer group membership as a determinant of future physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27420-6170, USA. srylipii@ucng.edu
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yli-Piipari
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jaakkola
authors.forename: Jarmo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liukkonen
authors.forename: Noona
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiuru
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watt
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D010379:Peer Group; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012737:Sex Factors; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012933:Social Identification; D012945:Social Values