Reevaluating the education-leisure paradox: A nonlinear approach to understanding the impact of education on leisure participation

This study investigates the nonlinear relationship between education and leisure participation, challenging the widespread assumption that higher levels of education always lead to greater leisure participation. By integrating Household Economic Theory and the too-much-of-a-good-thing (TMGT) effect, the study hypothesizes an inverted U-shaped relationship between education and leisure participation. These hypotheses were tested using cross-regional survey data from China (CGSS 2018, N = 12,583), Europe (ESS 2014, N = 38,886), and the United States (ATUS 2019, N = 9,431). The findings reveal that, initially, higher levels of education promote leisure participation due to increased income. However, as education levels rise further, the substitution effect (driven by the attractiveness of higher wages) reduces leisure participation. By introducing the TMGT effect, this study extends Becker’s Household Economic Theory, offering new insights into the role of education in leisure participation.