The dark side of leisure: obsessive passion and its covariates and outcomes

The present paper challenges the notion that engagement in leisure activities is exclusively conducive to well‐being. By applying the Dualistic Model of Passion in a leisure context on 467 participants, the measurement of obsessive passion for a leisure activity was related to indicators of ill‐being and unrelated to general well‐being. In Study 1, obsessive passion for a leisure activity was associated with activity addiction, escapism engagement, and intrapersonal conflicts. In Study 2, obsessive passion was negatively related to basic need satisfaction in activity engagement as well as positively related to negative affective outcomes from activity engagement. We argue that the present findings may lead towards a broader understanding of motivation and outcomes in leisure activities.     

Does dispositional mindfulness moderate how individuals engage in their passions? An investigation into video games

ABSTRACT

The Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP) is an emerging framework in social psychology that assesses individuals’ passion for an activity. Although a passion parallels the definition for a serious leisure activity, the DMP further differentiates between a harmonious (HP) versus an obsessive (OP) passion, which are associated with adaptive versus maladaptive outcomes, respectively. Building on recent research in the area of mindfulness and the growing interest in problem video gaming, the present study explores the effect of dispositional mindfulness on reports of HP and OP. An online sample of adult video game users (N = 1,124; 68.95% male) completed assessments of their passion for video gaming as well as their dispositional mindfulness. Results revealed a negative association between dispositional mindfulness and OP for video gaming, but no association between dispositional mindfulness and HP for video gaming. Further, a moderation effect was found such that high dispositional mindfulness appears to protect against internalizing an OP for video gaming. Finally, results from a latent profile generally supported the role dispositional mindfulness plays in reducing the severity of OP for video gaming. The implications for theory and positive video game engagement are discussed.     

Does job passion enhance job embeddedness? A moderated mediation model of work engagement and abusive supervision

Academic and industrial attention has been paid to the job embeddedness as an important predictor of employee actual turnover. Studies have examined the influence of job embeddedness as an antecedent, mediator, and moderator. However, there have been few investigations of antecedents of job embeddedness from the perspective of employee characteristics. Therefore, the current study bridged this research gap and investigated the associations among job passion, work engagement, abusive supervision, and job embeddedness. Data from 278 full-time hotel employees indicated that harmonious passion was not associated with job embeddedness. Moreover, obsessive passion shared a positive relationship with job embeddedness. Both harmonious and obsessive passion had an indirect effect on job embeddedness through work engagement. Abusive supervision moderated only the indirect effect of obsessive passion on job embeddedness via work engagement. A new model is proposed based on our findings to explain factors that contribute to job embeddedness.     

Exploring the relationship between types of leisure activities and acculturation among Korean immigrants

Research has suggested that leisure engagement facilitates acculturation among immigrants. A dearth of information exists about which types of leisure activities are associated with acculturation among immigrants. This study focused on 434 Korean immigrants in order to determine what types of leisure activities were associated with behavioural acculturation (e.g. language usage and social context) and cultural value acculturation (e.g. collectivism, self-control and success). The results showed that participation in hobbies and indoor activities were the positive predictors of behavioural acculturation, while engagement in cultural and volunteer activities was the negative predictors of behavioural acculturation. In addition, cultural value acculturation had a positive association with social activity engagement, but had a negative association with participation in physical, cultural and volunteering activities. Overall, these findings indicated that engaging in leisure activities is positively associated with acculturation. This study suggests that leisure engagement can be beneficial in the successful acculturation process of the Korean immigrant in Western society.     

Exploring the Influence of Leisure on Adjustment: Development of the Leisure and Spinal Cord Injury Adjustment Model

While recent studies have demonstrated the significance of leisure in the initial phases of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, the impact of leisure experience on adjustment and the dynamics of that influence have yet to be adequately clarified. Development of skills to effectively manage leisure becomes critical in the community reintegration process, especially for those who are at risk for poor social and psychological adjustment after injury. Although leisure activities may contribute to well-being among individuals with SCI, the lack of understanding of the dynamics of that influence offers little direction for selection of activity alternatives and design of leisure interventions. This study attempted to answer the following research questions: (1) Does leisure engagement influence the adjustment of individuals with SCI? (2) If leisure engagement does influence adjustment, what influence do variations in leisure activity have on the adjustment of individuals with SCI? (3) Does social support mediate the influence of leisure on adjustment of individuals with SCI? The leisure and SCI adjustment model was constructed to provide one possible explanation of the influence of leisure on the adjustment of individuals with SCI. The model proposed that: (a) leisure engagement has a direct influence on the adjustment of individuals with SCI and (b) leisure engagement has an indirect influence on adjustment to SCI through the promotion of social support. Results from structural equation modeling confirmed that the leisure and SCI adjustment model was an "acceptable" fit to data but left a sufficiently large amount of unexplained variance to suggest the need for further examination of alternative models of SCI adjustment. The use of multiple regression and bivariate correlations suggested that diversity, frequency, and intensity of leisure engagement were associated with the adjustment of individuals with SCI.     

Adolescents’ choice and pursuit of their most important and interesting leisure activities

This study investigated the choice and pursuit of adolescents’ most important and interesting leisure activity. It is underpinned by the concept of serious leisure, recent perceptions of seriousness as a continuum and calls for incorporating contextual elements of serious activity pursuit. A questionnaire survey was administered to 832 students from 10 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Students were asked to nominate leisure activity that they regarded as most important and interesting as well as to complete an adapted version of the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure (SLIM). Results showed the popularity of sports and performance and graphic arts activities and of psychological reasons for activity choice. There were variations in activity choice between boys and girls and across schools as well as across levels of seriousness in activity pursuit. The study adds to the scant knowledge of adolescents’ serious leisure and enhances understanding of motives for and meanings of serious engagement.     

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.     

Serious leisure among older gardeners in Australia

Activities such as gardening are fast becoming acknowledged as a much desired health management strategy in later life. However, few studies have examined gardening as a serious leisure pursuit. The aim of this study was to apply the concept of serious leisure to the context of leisure gardening by older adults in Australia. Casual, participant and devotee gardeners were compared with respect to the relative importance of the characteristics of serious leisure, using self-administered questionnaires (n = 514). Findings indicated that characteristics of serious leisure varied significantly across the three groups. The most powerful discriminating characteristics were Identity, Unique Ethos and Significant Effort; with Identity particularly important for devotee gardeners. The deeper the level of engagement, the more gardening was perceived as contributing to overall life satisfaction. Findings indicated that gardening could be a serious leisure pursuit that assists in the development of a positive leisure identity and contributes to a more mobile and active life for older adults.     

Migrating to the East: a qualitative investigation of acculturation and leisure activities

This study sought to explore leisure behaviours associated with acculturation and immigration experiences among emigrants from the United States and Canada who moved to South Korea. Three main themes were identified as leisure engagement associated with acculturation: (a) embracing new leisure behaviours, (b) experiencing dynamics of interpersonal relationships and (c) improving cultural understandings. The findings of this study indicated that leisure provided an opportunity for participants to develop the ability to adapt to a new environment and gain cultural knowledge. In addition, this study indicates that as a result of leisure activities, participants explored, understood and experienced a new cultural environment that may facilitate acculturation.     

The impact of leisure coping beliefs and strategies on adaptive outcomes

Despite the recent growth of leisure coping research, it is not entirely clear: what aspects of leisure best contribute to coping with stress, and how the mechanisms that link leisure to adaptive outcomes operate. Another limitation of this research has been a tendency to examine leisure coping independent of general coping - coping not directly associated with leisure (e.g., problem-focused coping). To help overcome these limitations, the purpose of this study was to test two models of leisure and coping: (a) an independent model and (b) a buffer model, when the effects of general coping were taken into account. The findings of the study using police and emergency response service workers suggest that the effects of leisure on adaptive outcomes differ depending on the type of leisure coping used. Situation-specific leisure coping strategies (i.e., actual coping behaviors and cognitions available through leisure) were significantly associated with effectiveness of coping, satisfactory coping outcomes, and stress reduction (i.e., immediate adaptive outcomes), whereas enduring leisure coping beliefs (i.e., personality dispositions and beliefs about the role of leisure as a means of managing stress) significantly predicted better physical health (as a long-term outcome), irrespective of the level of stress experienced. Both types of leisure coping had significant 'main effects' supporting the independent model. Also, evidence of the buffer model was found for the effects of leisure coping strategies on moderating the detrimental impact of stress on physical health. Implications of leisure coping research for health promotion and lifestyle intervention are discussed.     

Bringing Personal Character Strengths into the Production of the Leisure Experience

This study explores opportunities for character strength activation through the leisure context of charity sport events. Character strengths are a core aspect of positive psychology, and their activation increases wellbeing. Based on a card sorting procedure and semi-structured interviews, respondents identified which strengths they used during charity sport event participation. Results indicate that kindness/generosity, citizenship, loyalty and teamwork, hope and optimism, and passion and enthusiasm were all core event-related strengths. The findings provide insights regarding the relationship between leisure participation and wellbeing, as we know that (i) leisure frequently leads to increased wellbeing, (ii) this leisure context provides an opportunity to activate specific character strengths, and (iii) these specific character strengths are known to increase wellbeing. Therefore, it may be that the activation of these event-specific character strengths provides a mechanism to derive wellbeing outcomes from leisure participation, and should be further explored in the design of charity sport events.     

Recreationists’ Constraints Negotiation Process for Continual Leisure Engagement

Unlike prospective participants with desire for initial participation, current participants are likely to have different interest in habitual leisure engagement from participation itself. Accordingly, they may respond to the effects of leisure constraints differently in order to progress toward a higher level of leisure involvement. This study aims to construct a theoretical framework that demonstrates how diverse components of current participants’ constraints negotiation process are conceptually connected to each other. Study results suggest that different negotiation strategies help current participants adjust their willingness to participate in the activity more frequently. Results also denote that the three dimensions of leisure constraints are differently associated with cognitive negotiation strategies, and commitment plays an important role in promoting the use of negotiation strategies to mitigate current participants’ perception of leisure constraints.     

Work–leisure conflict and its associations with well-being: The roles of social support,leisure participation and job burnout

In hospitality and tourism industries employees, work–leisure conflict (WLC) resulting from job characteristics can affect work attitudes and personal life. This study revealed that social support has moderating effects on the relationships among work–leisure conflict, leisure participation, job burnout and well-being. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis of 488 valid questionnaires collected from a sample of employees in the hospitality and tourism industries showed that (1) WLC positively affects job burnout and negatively affects leisure participation and well-being; (2) leisure participation is positively associated with well-being, but burnout is negatively associated with well-being; (3) leisure participation and job burnout have mediating roles in the full model; (4) social support is a moderator in the full model. The analytical results of the study provide a reference for managing employees in the hospitality and tourism industries.     

Re-evaluating well-being outcomes of social tourism: Evidence from Finland

This study contributes new findings on well-being outcomes in social tourism initiatives. Based on a two-stage survey of 371 respondents of the largest Finnish Social Holiday Association, including a control group, we assess subjective well-being, experience of inclusion and family outcomes. Positive effects on satisfaction with life, leisure time, mental health, family, social life, employment and economic situation and others were observed, but weaker associations and no effects in other areas such as learning or family cohesiveness. The findings suggest previous studies of well-being over-simplify positive outcomes associated with holidays, the advanced methods employed enable a nuanced analysis of holiday benefits. The study contributes to theory on well-being outcomes for disadvantaged tourists and outlines implications for social tourism organisations.     

Examining Rival Models of Leisure Coping Mechanisms

The present study examined the role of leisure in coping with stress and promoting good health. Using police and emergency response service workers (n = 132), this study tested a number of theoretically grounded leisure coping models to discover mechanisms by which leisure coping influences the relationship between stressors and adaptational outcomes (i.e., immediate adaptational outcomes such as coping effectiveness and stress reduction, and physical and mental health). Ensel and Lin's (1991) life stress paradigm was adopted to conceptualize these rival models (eight in total), and structural equation modeling was used to compare goodness of fit among the models to identify the best model. The findings suggest that stressors and leisure coping appear to independently influence adaptational outcomes. Leisure coping facilitated positive immediate adaptational outcomes that subsequently had a positive impact on health, irrespective of the level of stress experienced. The potential contribution of leisure to coping with stress and health is highlighted. Results suggest that the development of enduring beliefs about the role of leisure as ways of coping (i.e., leisure coping beliefs) seems essential for the actual and effective use of leisure as a means to manage stress (i.e., leisure coping strategies). Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Nonresident Fathers' Leisure with Their Children

This study examines nonresident fathers' leisure with their children, which leads to nuanced understandings of nonresident fatherhood, father–child relationships and the role of leisure in these relationships. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 nonresident fathers residing in the Hunter region, Australia. The fathers who participated in the study were a diverse group. Despite fathers' different life circumstances, experiences of separation, and divorce and child contact arrangements, leisure was an important context for fatherhood. Leisure was a vital aspect of fathers' engagement with their children and a means for them to make valuable contributions as parents to the lives of their children.     

The relationships between the seriousness of leisure activities,social support and school adaptation among Asian international students in the U.S.

Although social support is a significant contributor of school adaptation, Asian international students tend to have a lack of social support. To build up social support, leisure engagement could be an effective way for Asian international students. In particular, taking leisure seriously may have important effects on Asian international students to build strong social networks and obtain a sense of belonging to help them adapt to school. A total of 190 Korean and Chinese international students were focused to explore the relationships between the seriousness of leisure activities, social support and school adaptation among Asian international students attending U.S. colleges/universities using structural equation modeling. While the model showed an acceptable model fit to the sample data, the results indicate that engaging in leisure seriously has a positive association with gaining social support from friends. Furthermore, social support from friends was not only a predictor of school adaptation but also acted as a mediator between the seriousness of leisure activities and school adaptation. We also found that the seriousness of leisure involvement maintained a direct effect on school adaptation. This study advocated the importance of serious leisure engagement in the lives of Asian international students adapting to college.     

Meditation as a kind of leisure: the similarities and differences in the United States

Meditation has been shown to be a cost-effective means to help individuals reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and depression. Similarly, leisure has been found to reduce stress, improve mood and contribute to overall health and well-being. The similarities and differences in outcomes between meditation and leisure suggest that a comparative analysis may determine if and how experiences and outcomes of meditation may be similar to and different from those of leisure and provide deeper insights into the ways in which both can contribute to improved quality of life. The purpose of this study is to examine the similarities and differences in meditation and leisure as perceived by a range of individuals engaging in meditation. Results indicate that meditators experience stress reduction, emotional balance and an enhanced quality of life during both their leisure and meditation. Many of the positive experiences and outcomes derived from meditation render it very similar to leisure. Nevertheless, meditation and leisure also differ in several important ways.     

Cultural Consonance in Leisure,Leisure Satisfaction,Life Satisfaction,and Self-Rated Health in Urban Taiwan

The purpose of this study threefold: to determine whether a shared cultural model of the importance of a set of leisure activities to a good leisure life existed in urban Taiwan, the degree to which cultural consonance in leisure mediates the relationship between leisure constraints and leisure satisfaction, and the degree to which leisure satisfaction affects life satisfaction and self-rated health. Results indicate that a cultural model of the importance of leisure activities to a good leisure life existed among sample members. Second, higher levels of self-reported participation in leisure activities that are culturally agreed upon as more important for a good leisure life are more strongly associated with leisure satisfaction than are activities culturally agreed upon as less important. Finally, leisure satisfaction strongly predicts both life satisfaction and self-rated health.