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Abstract

Casual leisure is fundamentally hedonic, pursued for its significant level of pure enjoyment, or pleasure. Its participants find, depending on the type of such leisure, an emotional world of joy, amusement, and attraction. By contrast, in the different kinds of leisure projects, positiveness roots in relatively short-term accomplishments and modest self-fulfillment (compared with the extensive fulfillment of the serious pursuits). Deferral of gratification is discussed, as is the pleasure principle. Entertainment, sociable conversation, and sensory stimulation are covered under the rubric of amusement. Attraction, a tertiary emotion, is considered with other tertiary emotions including adoration, fondness, liking, and caring. Joy is largely absent in project-based leisure, whereas amusement and attraction are commonly present there.

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© 2015 Robert A. Stebbins

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Stebbins, R.A. (2015). Casual and Project-Based Leisure. In: Leisure and Positive Psychology: Linking Activities with Positiveness. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-56994-3_9

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