The Latent Structure of the Need Satisfying Properties of Leisure Activities

TLDR

The study used two independent factor analyses—Rao’s canonical factor analysis on 45 need‑satisfiers and a principal components analysis on 27 leisure‑activity‑specific need‑satisfiers—to identify eight replicable factors underlying leisure activity needs. The authors discuss how the two factor sets correspond and describe each of the 10 leisure activities in terms of their potential to satisfy the identified need dimensions.

Abstract

The need-satisfying characteristics of 10 popular leisure activities were examined by two independent factor analyses. The total domain of 45 need satisfiers was subjected to Rao's canonical factor analysis resulting in 10 replicable common factors. Subsequently, the total domain of need satisfiers was reduced to a subset of 27 "leisure activity specific" need satisfiers (i.e., needs characterized by differential satisfaction dependent on the specific leisure activity involved). A principal components factor analysis of the 27 specific need-satisfier dimensions resulted in eight replicable factors. The correspondence between the two sets of factors is discussed, and the 10 leisure activities are described in terms of their potential to satisfy each of the dimensions underlying the leisure activity specific needs.