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Free Time: An Opportunity for Growth, Recreation, or Stagnation

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Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures

Part of the book series: Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology ((CAPP,volume 2))

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Abstract

Besides being complementary to work, free time activities are extremely varied. They include playing sports, practicing hobbies, idling, volunteering, interacting, watching TV, and playing videogames. Different conceptualizations and models have been proposed to account for such a variety of activities and for their contribution to individuals’ development and well-being. These models differentiate between active and passive leisure, or between structured and unstructured activities. From a broader perspective, free time has also been divided into serious and casual leisure, based on the constancy and duration of individuals’ engagement. Starting from these conceptualizations, this chapter primarily focuses on sports and hobbies and media use. It illustrates the quality of associated experience and their potential as flow opportunities, as well as the individual and cultural features that come into play in the promotion of optimal experience in leisure. The risks of free time as a potential source of disengagement and deviant behavior are also presented. The concluding section analyzes the role of leisure activities in individuals’ psychological selection.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Readers interested in professionals can consult, among others, the extensive work done by Susan Jackson and her colleagues (Jackson & Csikszentmihalyi, 1999; Jackson & Kimiecik, 2008; Jackson & Roberts, 1992; Jackson et al., 2001). Some information is also provided in Chapter 8.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Luigi Saccos, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157, Milano, Italy

    Antonella Delle Fave (Professor of Psychology), Fausto Massimini (Professor of Psychology) & Marta Bassi (Assistant Professor of Psychology)

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  1. Antonella Delle Fave
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  2. Fausto Massimini
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  3. Marta Bassi
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Correspondence to Antonella Delle Fave .

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Delle Fave, A., Massimini, F., Bassi, M. (2011). Free Time: An Opportunity for Growth, Recreation, or Stagnation. In: Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures. Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9876-4_9

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