The Incongruence Between Actual and Desired Leisure Involvement in Advanced Adulthood

What a sample of older individuals did with their free time, what they would have liked to do, and whether a discrepancy existed between the two were determined to determine.

Abstract

Activity participation is shaped by both personal preference and opportunity. What individuals do with their free time is shaped by the activities available. Leisure involvement in the later years may be limited by a stereotypic perspective which dictates the appropriateness of activities to both leisure service providers and consumers. The purpose of this study was to determine what a sample of older individuals did with their free time, what they would have liked to do, and whether a discrepancy existed between the two. Telephone interviews were conducted with 125 individuals ranging in age from 45 to 93. Data gathered during the interview indicated that the study participants were primarily involved in sedentary activities often done alone. However, the activity preferences of these individuals were primarily for active, social activities.