Variations in the Desire to Begin a Leisure Activity: Evidence of Antecedent Constraints?

This paper examines three assumptions in previous leisure constraints research: (1) that only two meaningful groups of non-participants exist (those who do not wish to participate, and those who do wish to participate, but for whom a constraint or combination of constaints precludes participation); (2) that lack of interest is the only factor which explains the lack of desire among the former group; and (3) that the only role played by constraints on leisure is negatively to affect participation, by intervening between preferences and participation. Using data from a public questionnaire study conducted in Alberta, Canada, the focus of the paper is on a group of non-participants who apparently did not wish to begin participating in a new activity. Based on innovative concepts recently proposed by Crawford and Godbey (1987) and by Henderson, Stalnaker & Taylor (1988), the findings are interpreted as evidence of “antecedent” barriers to participation, i.e., constraints which negatively affect leisure prefer...

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