The validity of time‐budget studies: A comparison of frequency and diary data in Halifax, Canada

The validity of time‐budget studies was tested by comparing leisure participation data from the Halifax time‐budget study with similar data obtained from a leisure time recall questionnaire. Care was taken to ensure that the population under consideration in the two data sets was the same. Leisure participation was measured according to the frequency and duration of ten leisure activities. Since the two data sets showed similar rates of participation, some confidence can be placed in the validity of time‐budget studies. This conclusion is further supported by the fact that similar patterns of relationship of leisure activities to sex, age, and education were also obtained. However, there was some evidence of overestimation of socially desirable activities (at least the more frequent ones) by middle class people in the interview recall study. The interview recall technique, on the other hand, is probably superior to the time‐budget technique for infrequently occurring activities.