Attributes of leisure and work experiences.

Essays written by 238 college students and 66 noncollege adults about their most memorable leisure experiences and most meaningful commonly occurring leisure and work experiences were content analyzed for the presence of 46 constructs describing 39 attributes and 7 benefits of the experiences. Significant differences were found in the frequency with which these constructs were used in describing leisure and work activities. Leisure experiences were most frequently characterized as providing enjoyment (intrinsic satisfaction), companionship, novelty, relaxation, aesthetic appreciation, and intimacy. In contrast, work was most frequently described as providing extrinsic rewards, accomplishment, learning, and altruism.