Extracurricular arts: Effects on creativity and academics

Abstract

In this correlational study, an examination of the relationship between experiences in some artistic extracurricular activities (music, dance, painting/drawing, and literature/poetry), creativity levels, and academic achievement was conducted. The data were collected using a survey that was administered to university students in Mexico. These students had been enrolled in classes for at least a year in different careers such as education, psychology, and architecture. The results show that students who had participated in artistic activities obtained better results in the Divergent Association Test. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between high grades and high results in the creativity test. However, no significant relationship was identified between the time students spent in extracurricular activities and their creativity levels.