Skip to main content
Log in

Predicting Personal Growth and Happiness by Using Serious Leisure Model

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

From a serious leisure perspective, serious leisure involvement is closely associated with positive outcomes such as enhancement of self-image and self-expression, improved social relationships and positive social interactions. This study hypothesizes that serious leisure involvement may lead to personal growth and happiness. Using a structural model, this study explored the relationship between serious leisure qualities and personal growth and happiness among Taekwondo participants (N = 167). Structural equation modeling demonstrated that there are causal relationships between serious leisure qualities and personal growth and happiness. The findings of this study have extended the exiting body of knowledge in serious leisure literature by quantitatively testing that personal growth and happiness are additional indicators of serious leisure outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2004). Happiness among Kuwaiti college students. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5(1), 93–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2006). Measuring happiness with a single-item scale. Social Behavior and Personality, 34, 139–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Khalek, A. M., & Lester, D. (2010). Personal and psychological correlates of happiness among a sample of Kuwaiti Muslim students. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 5, 194–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Argyle, M., Martin, M., & Lu, L. (1995). Testing for stress and happiness: The role of social and cognitive factors. In C. D. Spielberger & I. G. Sarason (Eds.), Stress and emotion (pp. 173–187). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bendle, L. J., & Patterson, I. (2009). Mixed serious leisure and grassroots organizational capacity: A study of amateur artist groups in a regional Australian city. Leisure Sciences, 31, 272–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, C. A., McGuire, F. A., & Voelkl, J. (2008). The link between successful aging and serious leisure. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 66(1), 73–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (1999). Facilitating posttraumatic growth: A clinician’s guide. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassie, L. T., & Halpenny, E. (2003). Volunteering for nature: Leisure motivations and benefits associated with a biodiversity conservation volunteer program. World Leisure Journal, 45(2), 38–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chun, S., & Lee, Y. (2008). The experience of posttraumatic growth for people with spinal cord injury. Qualitative Health Research, 18(7), 877–890.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chun, S., & Lee, Y. (2010). The role of leisure in the experience of posttraumatic growth. Journal of Leisure Research, 42(3), 393–418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delle Fave, A., Brdar, I., Freire, T., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Wissing, M. (2011). The eudaimonic and hedonic components of happiness: Qualitative and quantitative findings. Social Indicators Research, 100(2), 185–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dilley, R. E., & Scraton, S. J. (2010). Women, climbing and serious leisure. Leisure Studies, 29(2), 125–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finney, S. J., & DiStefano, C. (2006). Nonnormal and categorical data in structural equation models. In G. R. Hancock & R. O. Mueller (Eds.), A second course in structural equation modeling (pp. 269–314). Greenwich, CT: Information Age.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gould, J., Moore, D., McGuire, F., & Stebbins, R. (2008). Development of the serious leisure inventory and measure. Journal of Leisure Research, 40(1), 47–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heo, J., & Lee, Y. (2010). Serious leisure, heath perception, dispositional optimism, and life satisfaction of senior games participants. Educational Gerontology, 36(2), 112–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heo, J., Stebbins, R. A., Kim, J., & Lee, I. (2013). Serious leisure, life satisfaction, and health of older adults. Leisure Sciences, 35(1), 16–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hills, P., & Argyle, M. (2002). The oxford happiness questionnaire: A compact scale for the measurement of psychological well-being. Personality and Individual Difference, 33, 1073–1082.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1995). Evaluating model fit. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Structural equation modeling. Concepts, issues, and applications (pp. 76–99). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson, S., Loy, D. P., Kleiber, D. A., & Dattilo, J. (2003). Leisure as a coping resource: Variations in coping with traumatic injury and illness. Leisure Sciences, 25, 143–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson, S. L., Yarnal, C. M., Staffordson, J., & Kerstetter, D. L. (2008). Beyond fun and friendship: The red hat society as a coping resource for older women. Ageing and Society, 28(7), 979–999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, S., & Linley, P. A. (2006). Growth following adversity: Theoretical perspectives and implications for clinical practice. Clinical Psychological Review, 26, 1041–1053.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. H. (2005). The relation among fit indexes, power, and sample size in structural equation modeling. Structural Equation Modeling, 12(3), 368–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, J., Patterson, I., & Pegg, S. (2013). The serious leisure career hierarchy of Australian motocycle road racers. World Leisure Journal, 55(2), 179–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirski, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 803–855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacCallum, R. C., Browne, M. W., & Sugawara, H. M. (1996). Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling. Psychological Methods, 1(2), 130–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mackellar, J. (2009). An examination of serious participants at the Australian Wintersun festival. Leisure Studies, 28(1), 85–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Misener, K., Doherty, A., & Hamm-Kerwin, S. (2010). Learning from the experiences of older adult volunteers in sports: A serious leisure perspective. Journal of Leisure Research, 42(2), 267–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998–2012). Mplus user’s guide (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA.

  • Patterson, I. (2000). Developing a meaningful identity for people with disabilities through serious leisure activities. World Leisure Journal, 2, 41–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, I., & Pegg, S. (2009). Serious leisure and people with intellectual disabilities: Benefits and opportunities. Leisure Studies, 28(4), 387–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian, X. L., & Yarnal, C. (2010). Benefits of volunteering as campus tours guides: The rewards of serious leisure revisited. Leisure/Loisir, 34(2), 127–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, F., Vivat, B., & Prior, S. (2008). Women’s experiences of increasing subjective well-being in CFS/ME through leisure-based arts and crafts activities: A qualitative study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 30(17), 1279–1288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robitschek, C. (1998). Personal growth initiative: The construct and its measure. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 30(4), 183–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shipway, R., & Jones, I. (2008). The great suburban Everest: An ‘insiders’ perspective on experiences at the 2007 Flora London Marathon. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 13(1), 61–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegenthaler, K. L., & O’Dell, I. (2003). Older golfers: Serious leisure and successful aging. World Leisure Journal, 45(1), 47–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. L., & Storandt, M. (1997). Physical activity participation in older adults: A comparison of competitors, noncompetitors, and nonexercisers. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 5, 98–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins, R. A. (1992). Amateurs, professionals, and serious leisure. Montreal, Canada: McGill-Queen’s University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins, R. A. (1997). Casual leisure: A conceptual statement. Leisure Studies, 16(1), 17–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins, R. A. (2001). New directions in the theory and research for serious leisure. Mellen studies in sociology (Vol. 28). Lewinston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu, C.-Y. (2002). Evaluating cutoff criteria of model fit indices for latent variable models with binary and continuous outcomes (Doctoral dissertation, University of California at Los Angeles). Retrieved from http://statmodel2.com/download/Yudissertation.pdf.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kim, J., Heo, J., Lee, I.H. et al. Predicting Personal Growth and Happiness by Using Serious Leisure Model. Soc Indic Res 122, 147–157 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0680-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0680-0

Keywords

Navigation