Basic values as predictors of leisure-time activities among adolescents

Abstract

The main goal of the study is to analyse a rarely investigated relationship between leisure-time activities and Schwartz’s 10 basic values in adolescents. The sample included 1,349 Serbian high-school students (44% boys; 62% vocational schools). The leisure-time questionnaire consisted of groups of items related to hobbies, sports, following different themes/shows in the media (TV, Internet, magazines), listening to music, going out, attending cultural and sports events, activities on the Internet and social networking sites usage. Values (Selfdirection, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power, Security, Conformity, Tradition, Benevolence and Universalism) were examined by the PVQ21 questionnaire. Factor analysis yielded seven factors of leisure activities (45.96% explained variance), defined by the following contents: pop culture; music, culture & arts; movies, TV shows and the internet; science & politics; IT; going out; sports. Correlation analysis showed that the assessment of different activities was significantly related to the distinctive sets of basic values, which was additionally confirmed by multiple regression analysis including basic values as predictors and demographic variables as controls. The main conclusion of the research is that values are important motivators of activities during free time and that different values are mostly expressed through different activities, but also that different activities can be motivated by the same basic values.

Glavni cilj studije je analiza nedovoljno istraženog odnosa između aktivnosti tokom slobodnog vremena i Švarcovih 10 bazičnih vrednosti kod adolescenata. Uzorak je obuhvatio 1.349 srpskih srednjoškolaca (44% dečaka; 62% stručnih škola). Upitnik o slobodnom vremenu sastojao se od grupa pitanja vezanih za hobije, sport, praćenje različitih tema/emisija u medijima (TV, internet, časopisi), slušanje muzike, izlaske, posećivanje kulturnih i sportskih događaja, aktivnosti na internetu i korišćenje društvenih mreža. Vrednosti (samousmeravanje, stimulacija, hedonizam, postignuće, moć, bezbednost, konformizam, tradicija, benevolentnost i univerzalizam) ispitivane su upitnikom PVQ21. Faktorskom analizom dobijeno je sedam faktora slobodnih aktivnosti (45,96% objašnjene varijanse), definisanih sledećim sadržajima: pop kultura; muzika, kultura i umetnost; filmovi, TV emisije i internet; nauka i politika; IT; izlasci; sport. Korelaciona analiza je pokazala da je procena učestosti upražnjavanja različitih aktivnosti značajno povezana sa karakterističnim skupovima bazičnih vrednosti, što je dodatno potvrđeno multiplom regresionom analizom koja uključuje bazične vrednosti kao prediktore i demografske varijable kao kontrolu. Osnovni zaključak istraživanja je da su vrednosti važni motivatori aktivnosti tokom slobodnog vremena i da se različite vrednosti uglavnom izražavaju kroz različite aktivnosti, ali i da različite aktivnosti mogu biti motivisane istim bazičnim vrednostima.