Leisure and Identity Formation in Male and Female Adolescents: A Preliminary Examination

Identity formation is thought to be one of the major developmental tasks of adolescence. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the role of leisure activities in this critical developmental process. This study provides an initial examination of the relationship between participation in various categories of leisure activity and level of identity development for male and female adolescents. Survey (n = 73) and interview (n = 20) data were collected from a sample of grade 10 students (mean age = 15.8 years). The questionnaire included measures of time use, identity development status, and self esteem, while the interviews focused on attitudes towards self and towards leisure activities. Analysis showed that level of participation in sports and physical activities was positively associated with identity development for females (r =.45, n = 35, p <.05) but not for males, even though females were less likely than males to self identify as “physically active”. Time spent watching television was negatively associated with identity development for males (r =.41, n = 38, p <.05), but not for females. Participation in social and other free time activities was not significantly associated with identity development for either gender. The findings suggest that different leisure activities can have either beneficial or detrimental effects on the identity formation process. Moreover, the relationship between leisure and identity development seems to depend on both gender and the gendered nature of leisure activities.