The Contribution of Leisure Participation and Leisure Satisfaction to Stress-Related Growth

This study examined the contribution of leisure participation and leisure satisfaction on the experience of stress-related growth (SRG). Some types of leisure activity may be beneficial for SRG under certain circumstances. In addition, leisure satisfaction may be positively related to the stress-related growth experience. The participants of this study were 318 undergraduate students at an eastern Canadian university. The results indicated that frequent participation in civic activities and leisure satisfaction were statistically significant predictors of SRG. The findings in this study provided further evidence that positive leisure experiences and specific types of leisure activity not only help people cope with various stresses, but also facilitate growth-related changes.     

国际休闲研究动向与我国休闲研究主要命题刍议

西方关于休闲学的研究已有100多年历史,也已具备相当的理论与实践积累,成果颇丰,当前呈现出多学科综合交叉研究动向.我国休闲研究起步10年,出现了一批理论成果.随着社会经济文化的发展,我国面临诸多与休闲相关的问题,休闲研究显得极为紧迫.本文借鉴国外研究动向与现实课题,尝试性提出我国目前休闲研究的主要命题.     

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.     

Factors Related to Physically Active Leisure among College Students

The purpose of this study was to provide additional information about the complex relation of social cognitive constructs, gender, and active leisure among university students. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to test the hypothesized relations in a sample of 874 undergraduate students. Peer and family support had a moderate direct effect on self-efficacy while self-efficacy had a large direct effect on active leisure. A moderation effect was demonstrated. Peer support was more influential on male respondents' beliefs that they could be active and males reported higher active leisure participation when compared to females. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of influence on active leisure among this university population.     

乡村旅游游客生活压力知觉、休闲调适策略与健康之关系

休闲调适策略是现代人调适生活压力对健康影响的重要方式之一。本文以台湾苗栗县南庄地区500名年满16岁以上的乡村旅游游客为对象,探讨生活压力知觉、休闲调适策略与健康之关系,通过结构方程模式(SEM)实证检验。结果表明,休闲调适策略具有缓冲生活压力对健康的影响,并以改善情绪式休闲及友伴式休闲的休闲调适策略效果最为显著。故未来发展与规划乡村旅游活动时,可多以具有提升正面情绪与友谊支持的休闲活动为主,来帮助乡村旅游游客因应生活压力。     

北京五类人群休闲方式的比较与分析

随着生活水平的不断提高,人们对于休闲活动的需求也越来越大,也越来越重视休闲在自己生活中的地位.本文通过对北京五类人群的调查与研究来了解北京不同阶层人群的休闲方式的不同之处,以及他们选择休闲方式的决定因素和制约因素,从而揭示休闲在人们生活中的重要地位,倡导不同阶层人群选择健康与积极的休闲方式.     

Perception and Interpretation of Leisure Travel Articles

Limited attention has been paid to how readers perceive and interpret media messages about leisure travel experiences. This study examined college students' perceptions and interpretations of newspaper leisure travel articles revealing three central themes: intimacy and trust, tradition and authenticity, and socio-cultural knowledge. These themes are explored in order to understand the social justification of beliefs used by these college students when assigning meaning to leisure travel articles. Among the findings is the considerable role that leisure travel writers play as cultural intermediaries between local realities, readers, and future tourists. In particular, perception and interpretation of leisure travel articles revealed the expectations and shared meanings of these college students.     

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.     

Dyadic Exploration of the Relationship of Leisure Satisfaction,Leisure Time,and Gender to Relationship Satisfaction

The stress suppressing model proposes that sufficient resources reduce stress. The stress exposure model suggests that certain factors expose individuals to more stress. The current study tested these two models by assessing the within-person lagging effect of leisure time on perceived severity of daily stressors. Analyzing eight-day diary data (N=2,022), we found that having more leisure time than usual on a day reduced perceived severity of daily stressors the next day and that the decrease in severity became larger with further increase in leisure time. Additionally, the effect is much stronger among busy individuals who usually had little leisure time. The findings demonstrated an accelerated suppressing effect that differed between-person, and the lagging effect affords stronger implication for causality than correlational analysis.     

Leisure,income inequality and the Veblen effect: cross-national analysis of leisure time and sport and cultural activity

This paper was prompted by the publication in Britain in 2009 of The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always do Better, by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, which attracted considerable comment, both positive and negative and both substantive and methodological. The book claimed to show that, on a range of health and social measures of well-being, rich countries with more equal income distributions tended to perform better than those with less equal income distributions. Leisure time and behaviour were not among the indicators of well-being included and, while some researchers have sought to fill this gap, the range of leisure indicators used to date has been limited. This paper examines the relationship between income inequality and leisure time on a world-wide basis, and ten measures of cultural participation and two of sport and physical recreation participation in European countries. Efforts are made to address some of the methodological criticisms which have been made of The Spirit Level. It is found that more equal countries have more leisure time and higher levels of participation in cultural and sporting activities, and that there are also significant relationships with absolute Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head and with religious-related values. The extent to which variations in leisure time and participation are related to income inequality is linked to Thorstein Veblen’s theory of pecuniary emulation, referred to as the ‘Veblen effect’.     

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.     

Mainland Chinese Canadian Immigrants' Leisure Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being: Results of a Two-Year Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine whether recent Chinese Canadian immigrants' (a) leisure satisfaction, happiness, and life satisfaction changed over a two-year period and (b) if leisure satisfaction affected their subjective well-being (SWB) over this same period. Participants completed an initial, trilingual telephone questionnaire (N = 220) and then were recontacted every six months for two years. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that leisure satisfaction decreased over the two-year period, likely because of “leisure shock,” employment of a “withdrawn” strategy, or both. The results also showed that leisure satisfaction significantly and positively affected happiness and life satisfaction. Study limitations are identified, theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and future research recommendations are outlined.     

Empowerment,Resistance, and Leisure among Latino Student Organizations

ABSTRACT

The goal of the study was to examine leisure, empowerment, and resistance among members of Latino student organizations. The study examined how the process of empowerment is being achieved and what roles leisure plays in the empowerment process. Focus groups were conducted with 26 representatives of four Latino student organizations on a campus of a large midwestern university. The findings showed that the empowerment was being achieved by helping students adjust to the university life and succeed in college, by strengthening their cultural heritage and teaching others about the Latino culture, and by helping local underprivileged communities. Leisure was used to foster bonds among group members, to showcase groups' cultural heritage, to make activities organized for others more attractive, and as a form of fundraising and attracting new members.     

Stress,resilience and leisure coping among university students: applying the broaden-and-build theory

Evidence suggests that leisure coping is affiliated with resilience, and that both predict stress-coping and well-being. However, a theoretical explanation of how resilience is associated with the stress-reducing properties of leisure coping is lacking. Using the broaden-and-build theory, a model was developed proposing that resilient individuals proactively use leisure coping to cultivate positive emotions and in turn enhance well-being. Leisure coping and positive affect (PA) were suggested to mediate the relationship between resilience and well-being outcomes (stress and flourishing). The model was tested among 202 U.K undergraduates, a population reported to experience high stress. Structural equation modelling revealed that resilience had a significant positive effect on flourishing. Leisure coping beliefs demonstrated a positive relationship with resilience, PA and flourishing. PA mediated the relationship between resilience and flourishing and between resilience and stress. Leisure coping strategies did not meaningfully contribute to the model. Leisure beliefs may have emerged as more important than leisure strategies because leisure beliefs are relatively stable with more enduring effects on health and well-being, while leisure strategies are transient and situation-based. Future research should examine the relationships longitudinally to explore developmental change. Implications of the findings for undergraduates are discussed.     

International Students in Asia: Travel Behaviors and Destination Perceptions

This study investigates the incidence of international student travel in Taiwan. It was found that Chinese, Asian and other international students behave somewhat differently from respondents in prior studies conducted in Western settings. Cultural background influenced the travel behaviors of international students as well as their perceptions of Taiwan as a tourism destination. The visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market induced by Asian respondents offers greater tourism-related potential than the travel activity that students themselves undertake. The contrary was found for non-Asian students where the student-induced VFR market is small and prospectively less attractive than the student market. The Chinese international student travel market and induced VFR market showed less potential than anticipated, perhaps because of the embryonic stage of diplomatic and commercial relations between Taiwan and mainland China.     

Constraints to Pickup Basketball Participation among Chinese American Women

This study examined Chinese American women's leisure experience within the context of male- and African/White American-dominated pickup basketball. Participants, who were serious basketball players, encountered numerous constraints unique to their identities as Asian females, and these were inexorably linked to how pickup basketball is organized in the United States. While some informants stopped playing basketball because of constraints, others developed ingenious negotiation strategies to combat constraints and to maintain participation.     

Participation in Community Leisure Programs: Experiences and Perspectives of Children with Developmental Difficulties and Their Parents

Children with developmental disabilities participate in more solitary, sedentary, and home-based leisure activities than active physical pursuits or community-based activities. Clinical experience suggests that children with less well-recognized developmental difficulties also have compromised leisure experiences; however, this has not been fully investigated. This study engaged 20 school-age children with developmental difficulties in a community-based circus program, designed in collaboration with occupational therapists. The program included activities such as trampolining, trapeze, and acrobatics. Semi-structured interviews with children and parents explored children's leisure experiences both at circus and more broadly. Qualitative content analysis revealed that friendships, having fun, and being physically active were highly valued aspects of leisure. The coaching style and “just right” level of challenge within programs were identified as central to children's engagement and sense of competence. Participating in a supported leisure program such as circus appeared to promote children's engagement in community leisure, at least in the short term.     

A Cross-Cultural/National Study of Canadian,Chinese, and Japanese University Students' Leisure Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Canadian, Chinese, and Japanese university students' leisure satisfaction affected their subjective well-being (SWB) and, if so, how this process was similar and different cross-culturally/nationally. A series of stepwise multiple regressions indicated that, in general, satisfying leisure significantly and positively impacted SWB across all three cultures, but there were also differences between (a) Canada and both China and Japan in terms of aesthetic leisure satisfaction and (b) China and Japan in terms of psychological and physiological leisure satisfaction. Overall, our results suggest that while satisfying leisure significantly, positively, and substantively impacts SWB in both Western and East Asian cultural contexts, culture frequently influences which specific elements are pertinent. This cross-cultural/national study has important theoretical and practical implications for the currently Western-centric leisure literature and for the understanding of the different roles leisure plays in enhancing SWB across cultures, respectively.     

Leisure Involvement,Job Satisfaction,and Service Performance among Frontline Restaurant Employees

The importance of employee leisure involvement to employee service performance has been suggested but not tested in the literature. This study closes this research gap by inspecting the direct consequence of leisure involvement on service performance and leisure involvement’s indirect effect on service performance via job satisfaction for frontline service employees. This study uses a sample of 313 restaurant employees collected from Bandung, Indonesia. The proposed model is tested using variance-based SEM-PLS. The results show the importance of leisure involvement as a determinant of frontline service performance. Moreover, this study reveals that the effect of leisure involvement on service performance is partially mediated by job satisfaction. The conceptual and practical significance of these results are reviewed.     

The Effects of Ethnicity and Leisure Satisfaction on Happiness,Peacefulness, and Quality of Life

The purpose of this study was to examine how ethnicity and leisure satisfaction affected people's happiness, peacefulness, and quality of life. A trilingual telephone survey of Chinese/Canadians (N = 261) and British/Canadians (N = 258) was conducted. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that sex had no significant effect on any regressors. Ethnicity significantly affected standard of living, achieving in life, and life as a whole. Overall leisure satisfaction significantly affected happiness, peacefulness, and all nine quality of life domains. Canonical correlations also showed that happiness and achieving in life were positively correlated for British/Canadians and happiness and personal relationships were positively correlated for some Chinese/Canadians. Peacefulness was positively correlated with spirituality/religion and community connectedness, but negatively correlated with personal relationships, for some Chinese/Canadians. Implications and research recommendations are provided.