Temporal Aspects of Life Satisfaction (original) (raw)
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Discretionary Time Over Time: A Longitudinal View of Adults’ Lives and Leisure
Journal of Time Use Research
This study examined how middle-aged adults perceive discretionary or free time in their lives and the ways in which their life experiences and reflections on life structure are related to these perceptions. Research focused specifically on how changes in perceptions of available discretionary time were related to changing life experiences, assessments of life structure, and perceptions regarding leisure over a nine-year period. Data came from the longitudinal investigation of leisure, life perceptions, and life values: A Study of Leisure During Adulthood, ASOLDA. Descriptive statistics and mixed models were used to examine longitudinal quantitative data from eighty-four study participants. Results indicated that perceptions of time scarcity were most common for adults in years in which they had experienced more negative life events, especially when these life experiences prompted them to rethink and re-evaluate their lives. This pattern was most marked for those who had more positive perceptions of leisure. Data from four qualitative case studies further illustrate findings and future theoretical directions are discussed.
THE TIME-PRESSURE ILLUSION: DISCRETIONARY TIME VS. FREE TIME
People's welfare is a function of both time and money. People can – and, it is said, increasingly do – suffer time-poverty as well as money-poverty. It is undeniably true that people feel increasingly time pressured, particularly in dual-earner households. But much of the time devoted to paid and unpaid tasks is over and above that which is strictly necessary. In that sense, much of the time pressure that people feel is discretionary and of their own making. Using data from the 1992 Australian Time Use Survey, this paper demonstrates that the magnitude of this 'time-pressure illusion' varies across population groups, being least among lone parents and greatest among the childless and two-earner couples.
This study examines the effects of free choice and enjoyment of activities on perceptions of free time. The study focuses on subjects' perceptions of the amount of free time available to them, perceptions of time pressure, and perceptions of time deprivation. Emotions elicited by perceptions of free time are also explored. The results suggest that having many choices for discretionary activities can by itself lead to feelings of time pressure, time deprivation, and a perceived shortage of free time. Reported time pressure and time deprivation were least when subjects thought of activities they have to do and do not enjoy. [ to cite ]: ABSTRACT -This study examines the effects of free choice and enjoyment of activities on perceptions of free time. The study focuses on subjects' perceptions of the amount of free time available to them, perceptions of time pressure, and perceptions of time deprivation. Emotions elicited by perceptions of free time are also explored. The results...
Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
The purpose of the research was to analyze procrastination-a problem of time management that negatively affects the autonomy of people-in relation to leisure as a domain of everyday life. Specifically, the dynamics between leisure (activities and time invested-weekly frequency and duration of activity) and procrastination factors were studied. A sample of 185 university students (118 men and 67 women: M age = 20.77 years, SD age = 2.53) answered a procrastination scale-validated for the Spanish population-which refers to four factors of procrastination (dilatory behaviors, indecision, lack of punctuality, and lack of planning) and an adaptation of the Time Budget (TB) (a table where the participants were asked to specify "the three activities that you prefer to do when you are not studying or doing a paid job"). Results show that leisure activities are associated with factors of procrastination. As a matter of fact, the different factors of procrastination were related to specific types of leisure activities, depending on the weekly frequency of the activity or its duration. In this sense, there are cases in which the greater frequency of leisure activities (hobbies and computing, social life and entertainment) seems to contain-control, inhibit-procrastination (specifically, affecting its component of indecision) variations in the weekly frequency and duration of certain type of activities result in higher or lower scores on certain factors of procrastination. In sum, the time invested in leisure can protect from or inhibit delaying tasks-which implies enhancing the autonomy of people-a deduction that opens up new lines of research to identify optimal time investments for coping with procrastination.
Time and Money: Substitutes in Real Terms and Complements in Satisfactions
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
Time and money are basic commodities in the utility function and are substitutes in real terms. To a certain extent, having time and money is a matter of either or, depending on individual preferences and budget constraints. At the same time, however, satisfaction with time and satisfaction with money are typically complements; i.e. individuals are equally satisfied with both domains. In this paper, we provide an explanation for this apparent paradox through the analysis of the determination of economic satisfaction and leisure satisfaction, respectively. We test a number of hypotheses, including that leisure satisfaction depends both on the quantity and quality of leisure -where quality is proxied by good intensiveness and social intensiveness. Our results show that both the quantity of leisure as well as the quality are important determinants of leisure satisfaction; and since having money contributes to the quality, this explains the empirical finding of satisfactions being complementary at the same time as domains being substitutes.
Theoretical and Sociological Aspects of Leisure Time
Saudi Journal of Business and Management Studies
Our society is undergoing a constant change that encompasses all areas of human life. The importance of work and free time, the two central areas of life, has undergone a major change. The reasons are obvious: work alienation, increasing prosperity and the change in traditional social values have given greater importance to leisure time [1]. But despite the multifaceted social and technical changes over time, people have not realized the character and properties of time. The ultimate goal of this research is the theoretical and sociological approach to leisure time. The method adopted for the study was a review of the relevant literature. In the light of the present study, it is found that problems usually arise rather from human attitude towards time than time itself. The concept of time is comprehensive and encompasses physical and biological as well as psychological and social processes, which overlap and influence each other. The perception of time is not the same but varies depending on the person or the situation. Time seems to have a different qualitative and changing meaning. So, as people and their world change, so does the way they perceive time and the measures they take to deal with it. The way someone interprets past events, or thinks about the present and the future differs to a great extent from person to person. Some people consider their present life as a result of their past attempts; others think less of the past and enjoy life in the present, while others believe in the permanent repetition of already known things. The use of time in the course of the day or the week was the subject of research. No doubt, the 24 hours of the day pass just as quickly whether you are old or young, a woman or a man. Time is a phenomenon that is difficult to comprehend and perceive. Time is not always the same time. But with a closer understanding of the prevailing time apprehension, time budget and time patterns we can identify specific attitude structures towards time. Finally, it becomes clear that today we cannot talk about either leisure time park or leisure time society, since time is to a great extent allocated between managing work, house chores and essential hygiene as well as sleep. Only a few have the power to change their own time pattern and develop new dynamics.
Measuring Uses and Perceptions of Time: A Case for Well-Being
33rd General Conference of The International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, 2014
The perception of time not only in its length/duration but also in its quality both at the individual level and for the society as a whole is an issue that may be worth to further discuss to advance in the knowledge of the determinants of well-being and social progress. Nowadays there are many initiatives, even from national statistical institutes, that focus on the measurement of subjective perceptions and affects e.g.: emotional well-being, life satisfaction, feelings on inclusiveness and trust, etc. In this paper we will discuss the possibility to integrate this kind of subjective variables within the traditional time use surveys with the objective of broadening the classical statistical analysis of time use, mostly restricted to time duration, distribution and its economic valuation, including aspects related to the experienced quality of the different times in everyday life. For this purpose we will analyze time use surveys developed in the Basque Country (Spain) since 1993, as well as the first experiences with the inclusion of questions oriented to gain information about the individual perception of the time lived within the time use survey in Germany. We propose to address the time use surveys from a multidimensional, non-hierarchical and embodied conception of time, in order to offer the possibility of incorporating subjective temporal aspects in measuring uses and perceptions of time lived. This kind of information provides additional insights into both individual and social well-being outcomes and its development.
The Declining Marginal Utility of Social Time for Subjective Well-Being
Are people who spend more time with others always happier than those who spend less time in social activities? Across four studies with more than 250,000 participants, we show that social time has declining marginal utility for subjective well-being. In Study 1 (N=243,075), we use the Gallup World Poll with people from 166 countries, and in Study 2 (N=10,387) the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), to show that social time has declining returns for well-being. In Study 3a (N=168) and Study 3b (N=174), we employ the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to provide initial evidence for both intra-domain (principle of diminishing satisfaction) and inter- domain mechanisms (principle of satisfaction limits). We discuss implications for theory, research methodology, and practice.