The Influence of Leisure Involvement on Flow Experience During Hiking Activity: Using Psychological Commitment as a Mediate Variable

Abstract

This study investigated the mediating role of psychological commitment in the relationship between leisure involvement and flow experience and focused on selected hiking trails from the National Shoushan Nature Park in Taiwan. A sampling of recreationists on site was taken using the next-to-pass method. Structural equation modeling was employed in order to construct the correlation among variables. The findings confirmed that a higher level of leisure involvement is associated with a stronger flow experience. A recreationist's stronger psychological commitment was associated with a higher flow experience, higher leisure involvement was associated with a higher level of psychological commitment, and psychological commitment was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between leisure involvement and flow experience. Based on these findings, implications are discussed and directions for future research are also highlighted.