The Psychology of leisure experiences. A closer look at liminality and a comparison of (the seemingly very different) activities of friluftsliv and video gaming

Abstract

This thesis explored the nature of liminality and experiences, by collecting responses from a sample of 155 Norwegians who partook in the leisure activities friluftsliv or video gaming, by responding to an online questionnaire consisting of various scales measuring liminality, and variables we believed to be more, or less, related to liminality. The variables included, in addition to liminality, were insight, Attention Restoration Theory`s four components (being away, fascination, extent and compatibility), immersion, flow, positive affect, mind wandering, boredom and negative affect. As assumed from the theory of liminality, liminality was highly positively correlated with being away, but not as high as expected. Liminality correlated moderately with all the variables believed to be related, with the exception of insight and fascination that correlated lower with liminality than expected. Of the variables believed to be less related to liminality, only boredom correlated negatively in the range predicted with that of liminality. Mind wandering showed no relationship of significance with liminality, and negative affect correlated (negative) lower than expected. We found evidence of there being multiple ways to different aspects of liminality, and indications of several paths to different aspects of insight. Also finding the friluftsliv group and video gaming group to share more similarities than differences, where escaping tedious and boring everyday life towards positive experiences providing a sense of freedom, and right amount of challenge, were characteristics shared by both groups. The difference between the two groups were the path leading to positive experience. Where feeling being away psychologically and felt compatibility between ones‘ goal and inclination and the environment/activity, seemed to be the most influential and important aspect for the friluftsliv group, whereas immersion was of more significance for video gamers.