Internal and external factors underlying variations in adolescents’ daily optimal experiences

First published: 27 June 2019
The search for a balance between time for compulsory tasks and time for freedom and relaxation is one of the most important issues related to the role of leisure in achieving well-being. Leisure’s complexity and its relationship with so many life aspects make it an important issue in the study of optimal human functioning.

A review of the literature regarding leisure and adolescence shows a wide spectrum of conclusions about how leisure contributes to adolescent development in general (cf. Verma S, Larson R (eds) Examining adolescent leisure time across cultures: developmental opportunities and risks. New directions in child and adolescent development, no. 99. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2003) and identity development in particular (cf. Shaw SM, Kleiber DA, Caldwell LL, J Leisure Res 27(3):245–263, 1995). This chapter aims to analyze these contributions and integrate them into the scope of positive adolescent development.
The authors thank Ana Marques for her assistance with data collection and data entry. This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (PSI/01662), School of Psychology, University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/104117/2014) and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (UID/PSI/01662/2019), through the national funds (PIDDAC).