Leisure satisfaction
“Leisure refers to activities that a person voluntarily engages in when they are free from any work, social or familial responsibilities”[1] [2]Leisure satisfaction is the positive perceptions or feelings that an individual forms, elicits and gains as a result of engaging in leisure activities and choices. What can contribute to leisure satisfaction is to what degree an individual is currently satisfied with their leisure experiences and activities. An individual might attain positive feelings of contentment and happiness that result from the satisfaction of needs.[3] Participation in leisure activities and leisure satisfaction are inextricably linked to an individual's health.Caldwell (2005) suspects that that leisure activities may be associated with a number of defensive traits that enhance a person’s resiliency to negative life experiences. [1] [4] Some aspects of leisure activities that can act as protective factors include: “[the activity] being personally meaningful, intrinsically interesting and/or challenging; offering social support and friendships; contributing to a sense of competence and/or self efficacy; offering a sense of personal control, choice and self-determination; and being relaxing and/or distracting the individual from negative life events.” [1] [4] Leisure activities, although ranging in types, have also proven to be beneficial to health cross-culturally.[5]
Leisure Satisfaction and Subjective Well Being
In a study subjective well being (SWB) was defined as a combination of an individual’s emotional reactions, satisfaction with specific aspects of one’s life, and satisfaction with one’s whole life. Many studies have been conducted to determine what specific leisure activities are linked to SWB. Research identifies other groups of leisure activities ranging from three to eleven to sixteen groups. There is no overall agreement regarding what specific groups of leisure activities predict SWB, but some researchers agree that leisure activities contribute to SWB and that the relationship between the two is complex.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). What the results basically state, is that the more leisure patients experienced the more likely they felt their social, education and psychological needs were met. The study concluded that leisure is as important for people with psychiatric disabilities as it is for the general public. As Lloyd, King, Lampe, & McDougall (2001) explained, the general public may view an event, such as a leisure activity, as unsatisfactory, but to a mental patient a leisure activity can greatly raise their average happiness. [6] Prvu, J. (1999) conducted a study among brain injury patients. Results showed that patients involved in the leisure activity program that helped increase leisure skills and knowledge of community resource also provided patients with an increase in self-confidence and leisure participation which in turn, increased leisure satisfaction. [7] Leisure activity can be a significant factor in lowering a person’s level of depressive symptoms. [8]
- ^ a b c Joudrey, A. D., & Wallace, J.E. (2009) Leisure as a Coping Resource: A Test of the Job Demand-Control-Support Model. Human Relations 62 (2), 195-218. doi:10.1177/0018726708100357
- ^ Esteve, R., San Martin, J. & Lopez, A.E. Grasping the meaning of leisure: Developing a self-report measurement tool. Leisure Studies, 1999, 18, 79–91.
- ^ (Beard & Ragheb, 1980)
- ^ a b Caldwell, L.L. Leisure and health: Why is leisure therapeutic? British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 2005, 33, 7–26.
- ^ Spiers, A., & Walker, G.J. (2009). The Effects of Ethnicity and Leisure Satisfaction on Happiness, Peacefulness, and Quality of Life. Leisure Sciences, 31, 84-9. doi:10.1080/01490400802558277
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Lloydwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Prvu, J. (1999). The Effects of Leisure Education on Leisure Satisfaction, Leisure Participation, and Self-confidence for Individuals with Brain Injuries. Canadian Association of Leisure Studies. Retrieved from http://lin.ca/Uploads/cclr9/CCLR9_31.pdf
- ^ Mausbach, B. T, et al. (2012). A Longitudinal Analysis of the Relations Among Stress, Depressive Symptoms, Leisure Satisfaction, and Endothelial Function in Caregivers. Health Psychology, 31 (4), 433-440. doi: 10.1037/a0027783
External links
- The Serious Leisure Perspective [1]
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