Significant New Study Affirms Life-Changing Impact of Intensive, Long-term Arts Involvement

Abstract

This review of Doing WELL and Doing GOOD by Doing ART by James Catterall summarizes the author’s seminal work on arts involvement and human development, then looks at the extension of his earlier research into a 12-year longitudinal study that follows 12,000 students from high school to age 26. Findings from this study show that intensive involvement in the arts during middle and high school associates with higher levels of achievement and college attainment, as well as with indications of pro-social behavior such as volunteerism and political participation. Of particular interest are those sections of the book that go beyond statistical analysis to provide insight into the mechanisms through which learning in the arts transfers to other disciplines.