2021 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 91-104
The present study comprehensively examined the causal effects of various free-time activities (learning, reading, playing outdoors, viewing television, playing video games, and using cellular phones) on academic achievement and emotional–behavioral adjustment (prosocial behavior, peer relationships, depression, and aggression) using large-scale longitudinal data obtained from 5,408 elementary and junior high school students (2,729 boys and 2,679 girls). Results from the two models (lagged effects and simultaneous effects models) used to test the causal relationships among variables were highly consistent. The findings showed the following: (1) learning and reading positively affected, while playing outdoors negatively affected academic achievement; (2) playing outdoors and learning positively affected, while reading and playing video games (solo playing) negatively affected emotional–behavioral adjustment. These results suggest that indoor activities requiring large amounts of cognitive processing contribute to academic development and that activities performed with friends or parents lead to emotional–behavioral development. Notably, since the above results were not necessarily consistent with previous findings in Western countries, they may reflect sociocultural factors specific to Japan.
