The impact of leisure attitude and motivation on the physical recreation/leisure participation time of college students

James Franklin Watson, Purdue University

Abstract

Many individuals contend that they do not have time for physical leisure activities due constraints/barriers on their time (e.g., work, family, school, social organization, etc.), yet they spend approximately two to three hours per day watching television or performing some other sedentary or passive activity. Therefore, it is not the lack of time, but the lack of a leisure attitude and the leisure motivation to engage in physical leisure activity. Since the number of individuals who attend college directly after high school (e.g., traditional students who are less than 26 years of age), or return to college after a few years of employment (e.g., non-traditional student who is greater than 26 years of age) has significantly increased in our society, the lack of leisure attitude and motivation could be very wide spread. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine what impact leisure attitude, leisure motivation and the demographic variables of gender and age have on the physical recreation participation time of college students. For this study, a stratified random sample of 1000 undergraduate students at Purdue University (e.g., 250 males less than 26 years of age, 250 females less than 26 years of age, 250 males greater than 26 years of age and 250 females greater than 26 years of age) were selected based on the demographic variables of age and gender. Each person selected for the sample was mailed a 84 item questionnaire on their leisure attitudes, leisure motivations, time participating in a list of selected physical leisure activities. Also, selected demographic information on academic status (e.g., academic standing in semesters and academic major), marital status and place of residence during the academic semester was collected. Three mailings were made to the sample population in order to collect the 304 (30.4%) completed questionnaires. An additional twenty were returned approximately six weeks after completion of the statistical analysis. Results of the study indicate that males less than 26 participate in physical leisure activities for the purpose of competing against someone which helps them gain respect and approval of others through their successful participation (e.g., winners). However, both males and females less than 26 spend more time in physical leisure activities than males and females greater than 26. The results for males greater than 26 found that they see little benefit from participating in physical leisure activities. And when they participate, it is to gain the respect and favor of others (e.g., co-employee, a superior employee or possibly a family member or dependent). Where females greater than 26, like males greater than 26, rarely participate in physical leisure activities, and when they do participate, there are similarities to females less than 26, in that they seek relief from the daily stress associated with school, employment and in some cases a family. Based on the findings of this study, it may be said that the leisure attitudes and leisure motivations of the college males and females are very similar to the theoretical perspectives presented in the literature (Green and Kebron, 1989; Robinson, 1989; Kelly, 1990; Ragheb and Tate, 1993; Freysinger, 1995), and the model variables of the study demonstrated that regardless of the constraints on their leisure time (e.g., academics, family or work), the college students' leisure activity participation was mainly for the maintenance and/or development of good physical condition.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Theobald, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Recreation|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology|Educational sociology|Higher education

COinS