Network Analysis of Serious Leisure and Life Satisfaction

Serious leisure involves the systematic pursuit of leisure activities that offer meaningful engagement and personal fulfilment. While prior studies have linked serious leisure to enhanced life satisfaction, the complex interplay among its various dimensions remains underexplored. This study addresses that gap by employing network analysis to visualise both direct and indirect pathways between serious leisure qualities and life satisfaction, uncovering nuanced relationships that are often overlooked. Data from individuals engaged in serious leisure revealed a positive overall association, with the rewards dimension showing stronger connections to life satisfaction than the seriousness dimension. Direct predictors included financial rewards, ethos, group maintenance, group attraction, career contingencies, and re-creation. By integrating expected influence and bridge expected influence indices, self-actualisation and identification were identified as important nodes exerting indirect effects. The findings refine the understanding of serious leisure by emphasising the differential contributions of its dimensions and components, and offer guidance for designing leisure interventions to enhance life satisfaction and overall quality of life.