Exploring the Role of Time Perspective in Leisure Choices

Abstract

Time perspective (TP) plays a key role in various aspects of human behaviour. This paper proposes for the first time an integrated model that explores the role that five TPs (past-negative, past-positive, present-fatalistic, present-hedonistic, and future) and having a balanced time perspective (BTP) play in the amount of free time available, leisure benefits sought and leisure activities. The results obtained from a sample of 320 university students reveal that how people understand time is a key predictor of leisure choices. Our study also reveals that having a BTP is a healthy way to enjoy leisure time, which has considerable potential in regard to practical interventions in leisure education and counselling.

Keywords:

• Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory
• free time benefit
• activity
• Spain