Does Leisure Time Moderate or Mediate the Effect of Daily Stress on Positve Affect?

Abstract

This study tested the applicability of moderation and mediation models to leisure time as a stress coping resource. Analyzing eight-day diary data (N=2,022), we examined the within-person process of using leisure time to cope with daily stressors. We found that relatively high daily stress frequency, while reducing positive affect, prompted an individual to allocate more time to leisure than usual, which then increased positive affect, thus partially remedying the damage by high daily stress frequency. This within-person process, however, is significantly stronger among those with less leisure time on average than leisure-rich individuals. The findings support a partial counteractive mediation model, demonstrate between-person difference in the within-person coping process, and reveal the importance of positive affect as a coping outcome.

Time use of parents raising children with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

“…The reduction in free time for parents is consistent with a study by Axelsson and Wilder (), who showed that the majority of family activities happened less often in families with children with PIMD than in families with typically developing children. However, participation in leisure activities has been identified as a coping strategy for day‐to‐day stress (Qian et al ). Because several studies state that parents raising children with a disability experience increased levels of stress (Baker‐Ericzén et al ), the availability of free time seems to be of great importance for these parents, Also, because leisure participation/free time substantially contributes to people's well‐being (Sirgy ), several methodological strengths can be described.…”

An Empirical Examination of the Form of Relationship Between Sustainable Tourism Experiences and Satisfaction

“…Although this study was able to test multiple mediation effects of sustainable tourism attributes simultaneously, the potential moderators were not tested in our proposed model. As noted above, future research in sustainable tourism and tourist behavior may introduce the potential moderators and integrate the moderating-mediating model into further discussion (Qian, Yarnal, & Almeida, 2014). For example, Menon and Kahn (1995) suggest that variety seeking depends on the context.…”

Leisure, functional disability and depression among older Chinese living in residential care homes

“…This idea echoes Ensel and Lin's (1991) deterioration model of stress coping. However, research on these competing mediation models for leisure has been sparse and inconsistent (Iwasaki, 2003;Qian, Yarnal, & Almeida, 2014). For example, Iwasaki (2003) examined the mediating effect of leisure, but the results did not support either the counteractive or the deterioration models.…”

“…Previous research on the moderating and mediating roles of leisure in the stressÀhealth relationship has produced inconsistent results (Qian et al, 2014) and needs further investigations. Moreover, most related studies have focused on life stressors involving major life events, school or work problems, and interpersonal difficulties among university students and younger adults (e.g., Coleman, 1993;Iso-Ahola & Park, 1996;Iwasaki, 2003).…”