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Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Leisure and meaning in life.
Seppo E Iso-Ahola1, Roy F Baumeister2
1Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.
Leisure activities significantly contribute to a meaningful life by fulfilling core needs for purpose and self-worth. The subjective experience of freedom and choice in leisure is key to its meaningfulness.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Leisure engagement is an underappreciated factor in life's meaning.
- Leisure activities vary widely in their subjective meaningfulness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between leisure engagement and meaning in life.
- To examine how different dimensions of leisure impact perceived meaningfulness.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of leisure activities and their relation to meaning.
- Consideration of dimensions like active vs. passive and solitary vs. interpersonal engagement.
Main Results:
- Meaning in leisure stems from subjective perceptions of freedom, choice, and intrinsic motivation.
- Leisure activities satisfy basic psychological needs for purpose, value, efficacy, and self-worth.
Conclusions:
- Leisure is a crucial domain for cultivating a sense of meaning in life.
- Further research into how leisure enhances life's meaning is warranted.
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