Recreation Theory and Philosophy

African American and Caucasian students were more academically self-efficacious than Asian American students. Self-efficacy increased over the semester and was higher for male than female students at both time points. African American and Asian American students were initially more extrinsically motivated than Caucasian students; however, by the end of the semester, all ethnic groups were similar on extrinsic motivation. Female students were more extrinsically motivated and mastery oriented than male students who were more performance oriented. Performance goal orientations were negatively associated with grade point average whereas mastery orientation, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivation were positively associated with academic performance. Implications for higher education are discussed.

Motivation is an integral part of human behavior. It is an important determinant in why a person may pursue a particular activity. Intrinsic motivation is something internal, either primal (such as the need to eat) or learned (such as the knowledge of healthful eating). Extrinsic motivation is something external and may be both positive (such as rewards) or negative (such as punishment). Repeated exposure to extrinsic motivation may help create an intrinsic motivation. For example, students who are motivated to learn to receive good grades may develop a desire to learn.

The purpose of this paper is to present a balanced and systematic leisure education service model grounded in positive psychology principles that are applied across diverse audiences and in various venues that is designed to facilitate the interrelated positive experiences of leisure, happiness, and flourishing (cf. Dattilo, 2015). Six principles help leisure educators work together with participants along with their families, friends, and communities so that they experience leisure, are happy, and flourish: These principles include intrinsic motivation, self-determination, flow, arousal, savoring, and positivity. The term leisure education describes a multifaceted, dynamic process that promotes exploration of perspectives and opportunities intended to develop an ethic of positivity and savoring that is conducive to flow, arousal, and leisure. Leisure education is designed to stimulate self-awareness, promote acquisition of leisurerelated knowledge, and encourage skill development that enhances self-determination by meeting needs for autonomy, competence, and social connections, which are influenced by a variety of factors and people including family members, educators, leisure service providers, and neighbors. Leisure education includes programs specifically intended to empower people to experience leisure and happiness and ultimately flourish and it includes information infused throughout services to encourage these positive experiences.