Social Psychology of Leisure Lecture Notes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the social psychology of leisure, including theoretical approaches, leisure experience dimensions, psychological needs, motivation typologies, personality traits, and behavioral attitude models.

Social science

The systematic study of people and their behavior that relies on research rather than personal opinions alone.

Social psychology of leisure

The field that studies how people think, feel, and behave during leisure, and how other people affect those experiences.

Stimulus–Response (S–R) approach

A psychological approach focusing on how an external situation or outside stimulus affects behavior.

Organism–Response (O–R) approach

A psychological approach focusing on how personal factors, such as personality and needs, affect behavior.

Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) approach

An approach that considers both the situation and the person, proposing that behavior depends on how they work together.

Interactionism

The theoretical perspective stating that human behavior is influenced by both the person and the environment.

Fundamental attribution error

The cognitive bias of explaining another person's behavior by focusing too much on their personality and not enough on the situational context.

Social context

The surrounding social environment, including family, work, culture, other people, and the places where people live and act.

Three ways to define leisure

Activity, Time, and Experience.

Leisure as time

An approach that defines leisure as free time available after work and other obligatory duties, though this time does not always feel like leisure.

Leisure as experience

An approach that focuses on how people subjectively feel during an activity, such as feeling free, happy, or satisfied.

Objective view

A perspective in research that focuses on observable or measurable facts and behaviors.

Subjective view

A perspective in research that focuses on an individual's personal feelings, interpretations, and inner experiences.

Social Cognitive Perspective

A theoretical framework explaining that people react not only to their external environment but also to how they understand and interpret it.

Survey

A research method in which investigators ask participants questions to collect information about their opinions, attitudes, or behavior.

Time-use diary

A research method where individuals maintain a record of exactly how they spend their time.

Experience sampling

A data collection method in which participants report their immediate feelings or experiences multiple times during their daily lives.

Naturalistic observation

A method where researchers observe people in their normal environment without manipulating or altering the situation.

Interview

A research method where investigators ask people questions directly to understand their personal experiences in greater detail.

Leisure experience

What people think, feel, and undergo during leisure, including how they remember and reflect on the experience later.

Quality of experience

How good or meaningful an experience feels, which can contribute to improved happiness and well-being.

Authenticity

The subjective feeling that an experience is genuine, real, meaningful, or true to its nature.

Optimal experience

An especially positive experience in which an individual feels deeply involved in an activity; flow is an example.

Interest

A positive feeling that motivates people to learn, explore, or understand something.

Excitement and Arousal

Internal psychological and physiological states describing feelings of energy, stimulation, or excitement during an activity.

Relaxation

A psychological state characterized by feeling calm, peaceful, and less stressed.

Flow

A state of deep concentration where people become so absorbed in an activity that they may lose track of time.

Serious leisure

The systematic and regular pursuit of an activity in which participants develop substantial skills, knowledge, and experience over time.

Specialization

The progressive process of becoming more skilled, committed, and involved in a specific leisure activity over time.

Involvement

How much a person cares about or connects with an activity, place, product, or service, encompassing thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Passion

Strongly caring about and dedicating oneself to an activity that is perceived as important and meaningful.

Harmonious passion

A type of passion where the activity is important to the person but remains balanced with other aspects of life.

Obsessive passion

A type of passion where an individual experiences uncontrollable pressure to continue an activity, even when it causes conflict or problems in other life areas.

Cognitive dissonance / self-justification

The psychological tendency for people to explain or justify their strong commitment to an activity, particularly after investing substantial time, money, or effort.

Five phases of a leisure experience

The chronological progression consisting of: 1. Anticipation, 2. Travel to, 3. On-site, 4. Travel back, and 5. Recollection.

Savoring

The act of deliberately enjoying a positive experience by thinking about it, appreciating it, and remembering it.

Needs

Essential psychological requirements that support human well-being and personal functioning.

Perceived freedom

The subjective feeling that one's actions are entirely voluntary and based on personal choice.

Perceived control

The degree of control an individual feels they have over their actions or circumstances.

Psychological reactance

A motivational state of resistance that occurs when an individual's freedom is threatened or eliminated, driving them to try to restore that freedom.

Forbidden fruit effect

An instance of psychological reactance in which an activity or object becomes more desirable precisely because it is forbidden.

Theory of substitutability

A theory stating that when an initial leisure choice is blocked, people will look to replace it with an alternative activity.

Learned helplessness

A condition resulting from repeated uncontrollable negative experiences, causing a person to believe they cannot change the situation and to stop trying even when change is possible.

Learned optimism

The cognitive process of learning to believe that one's personal actions can make a difference, helping to restore a sense of control.

Therapeutic recreation

The use of leisure activities to help individuals experience choice, success, and control, thereby supporting confidence and participation.

Motivation

The underlying reason, drive, or purpose explaining why a person performs a specific action.

Intrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity purely because it is interesting, fun, or enjoyable in and of itself.

Extrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity to obtain an external outcome or reward, such as money, prizes, or social recognition.

Three types of intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation toward knowledge (enjoying learning), accomplishment (enjoying mastery or improvement), and experiencing stimulation (enjoying sensory excitement).

External motivation

A form of extrinsic motivation where an individual acts solely to obtain an external reward or avoid punishment.

Introjected motivation

A type of extrinsic motivation where a person acts due to internal psychological pressures, such as avoiding guilt or seeking pride.

Identified motivation

A type of extrinsic motivation where an individual participates in an activity because they consciously judge it to be personally important or valuable.

Integrated motivation

The most self-determined form of extrinsic motivation, occurring when an activity's value aligns fully with the individual's core identity and values.

Amotivation

The complete absence of motivation or intent to act because the person perceives no purpose, control, or reason to do so.

Reinforcement theory

A behavioral theory explaining how external consequences, such as rewards and punishments, shape future behavior.

Modeling

An observational learning process wherein individuals acquire new behaviors by watching and imitating others.

Social cognition

Mental processes involving how people interpret situations, anticipate outcomes, and evaluate their abilities to reach goals to guide behavior.

Goal setting

The practice of establishing specific objectives to direct actions, guide performance, and maintain sustained effort.

Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET)

A theory explaining how psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness support self-determined and intrinsic motivation.

Autonomy

The basic psychological feeling that one is the originator of their actions and can make their own voluntary choices.

Competence

The psychological feeling that one can execute tasks effectively, master challenges, and enhance skills.

Relatedness

The psychological feeling of being meaningfully connected to other people and having a secure sense of belonging.

Autonomy-supportive environment

A social setting structured to afford opportunities for choice and self-direction rather than imposing external control.

Social contagion

The process by which motivation, attitudes, or emotions spread socially from one person to another.

Personality

The enduring pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterizes an individual across diverse situations.

Trait

A relatively stable personal quality or disposition that distinguishes individuals from one another.

Temperament

An individual's characteristic constitutional style of emotional responsiveness, energy level, and attentional focus.

Murray's needs

A set of psychogenic needs proposed by Henry Murray, including achievement, affiliation, aggression, autonomy, and deference.

Extraversion

A Big Five personality dimension marked by being outgoing, enjoying social interactions, seeking excitement, and experiencing positive emotions.

Agreeableness

A Big Five personality dimension associated with interpersonal trust, kindness, honesty, and empathy toward others.

Conscientiousness

A Big Five personality trait reflecting high levels of organization, responsibility, thoroughness, and self-discipline.

Neuroticism

A Big Five personality dimension defined by a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, distress, and self-consciousness.

Openness to experience

A Big Five personality trait associated with intellectual curiosity, active imagination, flexible thinking, and an interest in art and novel ideas.

Locus of control

An individual's generalized belief concerning whether outcomes in life depend primarily on internal actions or external forces.

Internal locus of control

The belief that one's personal choices, actions, and diligence primarily determine the outcomes they achieve.

External locus of control

The belief that outcomes are largely controlled by luck, fate, external circumstances, or powerful others.

Sensation seeking

A personality trait characterized by the pursuit of novel, varied, complex, and intense experiences and physical sensations.

Four parts of sensation seeking

Thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility.

Attentional style

The characteristic manner in which an individual allocates and focuses their attention, vital for concentration and entering flow.

Playfulness

A behavioral trait involving spontaneity, humor, lightheartedness, and the uninhibited expression of enjoyment.

Time orientation

The cognitive manner in which individuals frame their experiences and focus on the past, present, or future.

Autotelic personality

A personality disposition where an individual finds activities intrinsically rewarding in themselves without needing external payoffs.

Shyness

A personal disposition involving feelings of apprehension and discomfort in social settings; distinct from introversion.

Self-as-entertainment capacity

The ability to productively structure and meaningfully enjoy free time autonomously without relying on external sources of entertainment.

Leisure boredom

The subjective state of disengagement and boredom during discretionary free time, shaped by individual and situational factors.

Leisure Boredom Scale

A measurement instrument developed by Iso-Ahola and Weissinger (1990) to assess individuals' degree of boredom during free time.

Leisure attitudes

Learned positive or negative cognitive, affective, and behavioral orientations toward leisure that can reflect enduring personal values.

Protestant work ethic

A value system prioritizing continuous work and productivity, frequently viewing leisure as idle, wasteful, or subordinate to labor.

Leisure Attitude Scale

A psychometric tool developed by Ragheb and Beard (1982) to measure cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes toward leisure.

Leisure Ethic Scale

An instrument associated with Crandall and Silken (1989) designed to evaluate individuals' moral and ethical beliefs regarding leisure.

Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

A socio-cognitive model stating that an individual's behavioral intention is governed by their attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.

Past-positive (ZTPI)

A temporal perspective characterized by a warm, nostalgic, and positive appraisal of past events and memories.

Past-negative (ZTPI)

A temporal perspective characterized by a lingering negative, traumatic, or adverse view of the past.

Present-hedonistic (ZTPI)

A temporal perspective focused on seeking immediate sensory pleasure, thrills, and enjoyment in the present moment.

Present-fatalistic (ZTPI)

A temporal perspective characterized by the belief that present events are dictated by destiny, fate, or chance and cannot be influenced.

Future (ZTPI)

A temporal perspective prioritizing long-term goals, planning, anticipation of future consequences, and delay of gratification.

Attitude toward the behavior (TPB)

An individual's overall positive or negative personal evaluation of performing a specific action.

Subjective norms (TPB)

The perceived social approval, expectations, or pressure from significant others regarding whether one should perform a target behavior.

Perceived behavioral control (TPB)

An individual's belief regarding how easy or difficult executing a specific behavior will be based on their resources and abilities.

Behavioral intention (TPB)

An individual's conscious decision and plan to engage in a specific behavior, functioning as the immediate determinant of actual action.