In a groundbreaking two-and-a-half year study, Dr. Richard M. Lerner and his team at Tufts University surveyed nearly 1,800 Cub Scouts and 400 non-Scouts in the Philadelphia area to analyze the effects of Scouting.
What did they find?
As first reported on Scouting Wire, the study proved boys in Cub Scouts became significantly more cheerful, helpful, kind, obedient, trustworthy and hopeful about their future than non-Scouts.
How they did it
The Scouts and non-Scouts were surveyed at five separate times during the two and a half years.
In the first survey, conducted right after the start of the study, researchers found no significant difference between Scouts and non-Scouts. If the Scouts had entered the program with unusually high character attributes, one could argue that Scouting merely attracts better young people instead of helping make them.
Instead, researchers were confident their study began with both groups on equal footing.
In the next few surveys, things got interesting.
- Gains were made in those six critical areas mentioned above: cheerfulness, kindness, hopeful future expectations, trustworthiness, helpfulness, obedience
- Scouts were more likely than non-Scouts to embrace positive social values. Ask a Scout what’s most important to him, and he was more likely to respond with answers like “helping others” or “doing the right thing.” Ask a non-Scout the same thing, and he was likely to say “being smart,” “being the best” or “playing sports.”
- There were even variations within Scouting. For example, Scouts who attended meetings regularly reported higher character attributes than those who attended infrequently. In a nod to the importance of tenure, Scouts who stayed in the program longer reported higher character attributes.
These findings are spectacular. We should shout them from mountaintops and approach strangers on the streets to say: “Did you hear? Now we have proof that Scouting builds character!
Join Cub Scouts today and start building Character! https://www.adventureiscalling.org/join/Pack-3301