Using Involvement Theory to Examine the Relationship between Undergraduate Participation in Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Development

This study examined the relationship between extracurricular involvement and leadership outcomes among traditional-age college seniors in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. Authors collected data related to quantitative and qualitative aspects of involvement in extracurricular organizations. Further, they measured leadership, as an outcome, using the individual values scale of the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale (SRLS-R2). The number of clubs in which a student participated and served as an officer was associated with higher leadership scores. Findings identified a threshold of involvement that suggests the optimum number of clubs or organizations to be actively involved in is three to four.