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.

Adventure recreation (AR) has been found to supplement addiction treatment and recovery in valuable ways. However, questions about the components and processes of AR and its influence on behavioral addiction specifically, e.g., gambling, video gaming, pornography, etc., still remain. Using the Meaningful Learning Experiences Model (an AR-based framework) and a quasi-experimental pre-post design, the present study examined AR's influence on three therapeutic principles (authenticity, social network support, and therapeutic engagement) that have been found to significantly influence addiction recovery. Seventy-five participants with sexually related addictions, namely pornography addicts, supplemented their 12-Steps recovery meetings with a Meaningful Learning Experience and scuba diving intervention. MANOVA results indicated that AR influenced all variables in therapeutically beneficial ways, with the most saliently effected subdomains being inauthentic living and social support networks. These findings elucidate certain AR components and processes in an addiction treatment context and support previous claims that AR is also a viable and unique supplement for behavioral addicts seeking recovery.

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