Modeling Change in Older Adults' Leisure Activities

Changes in three domains of leisure (i.e., informal, formal, and physical) were examined using data from individuals ages 50 and over from all three waves of the Americans' Changing Lives study (N = 1,911), and different patterns of change were found. Individual growth curve modeling suggested that while no change occurred over time on average within domains, significant individual differences were found in these patterns across all domains. Limitations in physical functioning and depressive symptoms predicted lower participation across domains, but other predictors including age, race, and gender made a difference. Older age only predicted decreases in the physical domain.     

Serious Leisure,Life Satisfaction,and Health of Older Adults

This study explored the relationships among serious leisure, life satisfaction, and health. The study sample consisted of 454 older adults from two annual events: the 2008 Indiana Senior Olympic Games and 2008 Colorado Senior Olympic Games. Cluster analysis was used to identify distinct groups based upon patterns of serious leisure involvement. In addition, relations among life satisfaction, health, and membership in serious leisure clusters were documented. This analysis resulted in three clusters, and they were named high/medium/low involvement groups. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to determine cluster differences in life satisfaction, physical health, and mental health. MANOVA results revealed significant differences among the clusters on dependent variables. The findings document significant heterogeneity in the expression of serious leisure involvement among the Senior Games participants. The results also suggest that there are positive relationships between level of involvement in serious leisure and life satisfaction and health.     

Older Men's Perceptions of Leisure and Aging

As the North American population ages, detailed research will be needed to understand the leisure experiences of older adults. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of leisure and aging among a sample of older Canadian men. Data were collected among 15 men aged 60–70 using individual interviews and follow-up focus groups. Data were analyzed thematically and four themes emerged: the interplay between leisure and work, the desire to “give back” to family or to the community through leisure, the individual purpose of leisure choices, and viewing constraints as a reflection of priorities rather than as barriers.     

Motivations for Activity Participation as Predictors of Emerging Adults' Psychological Engagement in Leisure Activities

Psychological engagement has been identified as a critical factor in the potential benefits of emerging adults. leisure activity participation. Emerging adults. motivations for participation might be particularly important in predicting psychological engagement. In the present work, we report findings from a study of motivations for leisure participation and its associations with psychological engagement. In a sample of 183 undergraduate university students, we found that three of the five hypothesized motivators positively and significantly predicted greater psychological engagement. Specifically, greater psychological engagement was related to leisure participation motivated by a desire to learn and exercise skills and abilities, protect the self (for example, to alleviate guilt by helping others), and because of opportunities presented by others. favorable attitudes towards involvement.     

The Influence of Leisure Involvement on Flow Experience During Hiking Activity: Using Psychological Commitment as a Mediate Variable

This study investigated the mediating role of psychological commitment in the relationship between leisure involvement and flow experience and focused on selected hiking trails from the National Shoushan Nature Park in Taiwan. A sampling of recreationists on site was taken using the next-to-pass method. Structural equation modeling was employed in order to construct the correlation among variables. The findings confirmed that a higher level of leisure involvement is associated with a stronger flow experience. A recreationist's stronger psychological commitment was associated with a higher flow experience, higher leisure involvement was associated with a higher level of psychological commitment, and psychological commitment was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between leisure involvement and flow experience. Based on these findings, implications are discussed and directions for future research are also highlighted.     

Testing a Structural Model of Psychological Well-Being,Leisure Negotiation,and Leisure Participation with Taiwanese College Students

A theoretically constructed model combining psychological well-being, negotiation, and participation was tested using structural equation modeling on Taiwanese college students (N = 464). The results provided partial support for the proposed model in that the autonomy and self-acceptance dimensions of psychological well-being had significant positive effects on negotiation strategies. However, contrary to predictions, the personal growth and purpose in life dimensions had significant negative effects on college students’ use of negotiation strategies. Developing a psychological profile of successful negotiation among college students using this framework may aid in predicting who will activate their negotiation efforts, and thus enhance the effectiveness of interventions for health promotion.     

Testing Alternative Leisure Constraint Negotiation Models: An Extension of Hubbard and Mannell's Study

The purpose of this study was to test a model of the leisure constraint negotiation process proposed by Hubbard and Mannell. A multidimensional measure of physically active leisure was used to extend their findings to a sample of middle-aged and older adults in a metropolitan park setting. Volunteers and visitors (aged 50–87 years) of a Midwestern metropolitan park agency completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results of a two-step structural equation modeling procedure suggested a constraint-negotiation dual channel model. In this model, the negative influence of constraints on participation was almost entirely offset by the positive effect of negotiation strategies. The effect of motivation on participation was fully mediated by negotiation. The implications of these findings for studying constraint negotiation and active leisure in mid- to late-life are discussed.     

The Influence of Ethnicity and Self-Construal on Leisure Constraints

This study examines the effects of ethnicity, participation, and self-construal on constraints to the popular leisure activity of downhill skiing, an activity that is struggling to attract ethnic minority group members in North America. A new leisure constraints model guided our study, a framework that recognizes the importance of macro- (i.e., ethnicity) and micro-level (i.e., participation, self-construal) variables on the traditional concepts of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural constraints. After sampling both Chinese- and Anglo-Canadian skiers and nonskiers, results indicate that ethnicity does influence leisure constraints, both alone and in interaction with self-construal.     

Entering the Minds of Serial Murderers: The Application of Forensic Leisure Science to Homicide Research

ABSTRACT

Years ago, a small handful of leisure scholars suggested that serial murder may be a form of leisure. However, to date this possibility remains virtually unexplored. This article draws from recent research to share reflections and rich, new insights on how leisure science may provide important contributions to serial homicide researchers and law enforcement personnel. At the same time, exploring such intersections offers leisure scholars new ways of understanding familiar concepts and theories. Possibilities for future research are discussed.     

The Effects of Depression on Leisure: Varying Relationships Between Enjoyment,Sociability, Participation,and Desired Outcomes in College Students

Depression leads to negative mood and affect, difficulty experiencing enjoyment in chosen activities (anhedonia), and a reduced desire for social interaction. This study compared 974 college students with different levels of depression (minimal, mild, and moderate to severe) relative to their desired outcomes for leisure, and their enjoyment of, participation and sociability in, different types of chosen leisure activities. Findings indicated consistency in their desired outcomes students, yet there were differences in how social they chose to be, the extent to which they partook, and how much enjoyment they perceived during their leisure participation. In addition, in several activities only a mild state of depression was sufficient to produce differences in leisure involvement. The results question whether depressed individuals experience “leisure” in the same manner as nondepressed individuals and whether elements of “leisure” experiences stressing enjoyment and sociability are applicable for individuals with differing levels of nonclinical depression.     

Creating New Relationships Through Tourism: A Qualitative Analysis of Tourist Motivations of Older Individuals in Japan

The current study is an exploration to examine older Japanese individuals’ motivations for travel. The study employed an open-ended survey and in-depth interviews in order to gain insight into the creation of human relationships through tourism. Our results show that tourism is perceived as offering extraordinary opportunities to meet new people, and to form and develop new relationships by Japanese older individuals, who experience fewer opportunities to interact with other people in their everyday lives compared to individuals in younger generations. In particular, distinct features of tourism settings, such as liminality and touristic communitas, allow older tourists to express themselves more freely by escaping from their existing relationships as well as from many social norms, hierarchies, and prohibitions.     

The Relationship Between Father Involvement in Family Leisure and Family Functioning: The Importance of Daily Family Leisure

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fathers’ involvement in family leisure and aspects of family functioning from both a father and young adolescent perspective. The sample consisted of fathers and their adolescent child from 647 families throughout the United States. Results from both the father and youth perspective indicated significant relationships between father involvement in both core and balance family leisure with family cohesion, family adaptability, and overall family functioning. Satisfaction with core family leisure that included the father's involvement was the single strongest predictor of all aspects of family functioning from both perspectives highlighting the importance of regularly occurring home-based family activities such as eating dinner together, participating in hobbies and informal sports or yard activities together, watching television together, or playing board games and video games together. Discussion and implications for fathers, families, practitioners, and future research are presented.     

An Exploration of Older Men's Social Lives and Well-Being in the Context of a Coffee Group

Recreation professionals continually strive to serve a host of diverse program constituents, while leisure researchers attempt to uncover barriers to leisure participation. Much of the barriers or constraints research has come from the perspective of program participants. This study identified, from the perspectives and experiences of 18 recreation professionals, the issues and barriers that they perceive inhibit recreation program access and availability to diverse constituents, particularly ethnic minority populations. Co-cultural theory, which integrates the concepts of muted group theory and standpoint theory, was utilized as the study's theoretical framework. In-depth interviews were utilized. Five primary barriers were identified that related to the changing faces of the community, the changing faces of management and staff, deferred program responsibility, language barriers, and negative attitudes and stereotypes held by some management and staff. This article demonstrates how these barriers impact leisure participation for disenfranchised groups. The findings suggest that recreation agencies, often unwittingly or unknowingly, foster organizational barriers that inhibit the perceived program accessibility or attractiveness to ethnic minorities. Implications for research and professional practice are explored.     

Family Activity Model: Crossroads of Activity Environment and Family Interactions in Family Leisure

ABSTRACT

This article proposes the Family Activity Model (FAM) that integrates the previous work of Orthner's theoretical constructs of joint and parallel activities with Zabriskie and McCormick's constructs of core and balance experiences. FAM includes two dimensions of family experiences: activity environment and family interaction. Activity environment refers to the degree of novelty in the environment, while family interaction refers to the degree of social interaction among family members. These dimensions include objective and subjective elements of experiences. As a result of these orthogonal dimensions, four categories were developed providing a more nuanced understanding of family experiences: core-joint, core-parallel, balance-joint, and balance-parallel. The broader implications of using the FAM are discussed for researchers and practitioners.     

The Problem of Motivation in Understanding the Demand for Leisure Day Visits

Abstract

Motivation for leisure travel has been an equivocal aspect of the study of leisure travel. Psychological theory has been useful providing conceptions of tourism motivation based on drives and needs, however, operational problems occur using attitude constructs which have varying degrees of predictive ability. This paper offers an alternative approach to the problems of motivation, taking a pheno-menological approach to the issues, using ethno-methodological techniques in a logical, sociologically grounded analysis of conversational interview data.     

网络时代听力有障碍年轻群体娱乐休闲研究

随着我国休闲产业的蓬勃发展,娱乐休闲活动越来越多,但是,能够提供给残疾人的娱乐休闲活动则很少.而这一弱势群体的娱乐休闲需求长期得不到满足会直接影响其身心健康.文章选取听力有障碍年轻群体为研究对象,以这个弱势群体的沟通方式与沟通障碍、娱乐休闲对他们的作用以及网络对听力有障碍年轻群体娱乐活动的影响作为研究内容,以问卷调查、访谈和QQ聊天为手段,对北京第四聋哑学校和北京联合大学特殊教育学院的100名听力有障碍学生进行了调研.在对调研结果统计分析的基础上,依据深度休闲理论,提出针对这一弱势群体的网络娱乐和网络学习的解决方案,希望能够在满足他们娱乐休闲需求的同时,使其获得更多的就业机会.     

The redefining of later life through leisure: music and dance groups in Brazil

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed at understanding the meanings that older adults attribute to two group leisure activities: dance classes and music get-togethers. The research question was: What are the meanings that older adults construct through group leisure activities? The study used ethnographic methods, specifically participant observation and in-depth one on one interviews. Two groups were selected in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In total, 32 in-depth interviews were conducted, 16 in each group. Data analysis included the development of categories, and entailed constant comparison between the two cases, which were then interpreted in terms of Consumer Culture Theory due to its relevance to leisure in contemporary societies. Six categories of meanings were identified in each group. Of these, five were common to both groups (well-being, hedonism, social connectedness, identity construction, and learning) and one category in each group was activity-specific: rediscovery of the body (dance) and nostalgia (music). The results of the study show how ageing becomes an asset to the individual rather than a liability, leading to a redefinition of what later life can be. In particular, we provide a novel perspective on leisure in later life by focusing on Brazil – an emerging country with a relational culture and high social inequality.     

The Role of the Psychological Contract in Managing Research Volunteer Tourism

Volunteer motivations and the psychological contract are outlined, demonstrating a reciprocal relationship needing more complex marketing approaches. Limitations of relationship marketing resulting from short project times are identified. Maguire's three-tier model is used to develop a theoretical model of the Research Volunteer psychological contract. Qualitative case data is used to illustrate transactional, career, and relational relationships. The article maps relationship marketing and the psychological contract model together, arguing that using both constructs enables more effective management of such a tourism niche.     

The Role of Moral Philosophies,Operational Criteria and Operational Strategies in Determining Equitable Allocation of Resources for Leisure Services in the United States

Abstract

This paper revises an earlier taxonomy of equity models that was published in this journal in 1988. This revised taxonomy consists of three elements. First, it extends the original taxonomy by proposing a set of moral philosophies, positioning them as antecedents of the operational strategies that determine equity outcomes. Six are identified: Rawlsian, egalitarianism, benefit principle, utilitarianism, libertarianism and paternal professionalism. It is suggested that communitarianism offers a philosophical basis for reconciling some of the antithetical perspectives embedded in these six moral philosophies. A second element in the taxonomy suggests the operational criterion flowing from each of the moral philosophies when it is adapted as the basis for policy decisions regarding the allocation of resources to leisure services. The third element identifies 14 operational strategies that determine equity outcomes. Their linkage to operational criteria and moral philosophies is shown. Potential equity consequences and implications of the operational strategies are illustrated and compared by use of a scenario relating the allocation of resources to park land acquisition.     

The Theory of Planned Behavior in the Context of a Food and Drink Event: A Case Study

The present case study seeks to contribute to the culinary event management literature, investigating key motivators among participants to the Derbyshire Food and Drink Fair, United Kingdom. A questionnaire, which was partly based on predictors related to the theory of planned behavior was designed and distributed; 308 usable responses were collected. The validity and impact of attitude toward the behavior, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms on behavioral intention was confirmed. Additionally, several motivators, such as “commitment and perceived importance,” “consumption and entertainment,” “attendance and discovery,” and “joining others” were identified as key factors. Finally, statistically significant differences were noticed among various participating groups, namely, in terms of age, gender, or distance traveled to the event. The findings have important implications for event managers and organizers, in terms of promotion, and addressing the needs and wants of various segments of food festival attendees.