Peter Ward

Addressing Response-Shift Bias: Retrospective Pretests in Recreation Research and Evaluation

The self-reported pretest/posttest has been commonly used to assess change in recreation research and evaluation efforts. The viability of comparing pre and post measures relies on the assumption that the scale of measurement, or metric, is the same before and after an intervention. With self-report measures, the metric resides within the study participants and, thus, can be directly affected by the intervention. If participants levels of self-knowledge change as the result of a recreation program, then this metric may also shift, making comparisons between measures from before and after the program problematic. This article aims to both synthesize the theory and literature surrounding this problem and to offer a mixed-methods, data-based example, which illustrates the problem in a recreation context and posits possible reasons for differences in reported precourse attribute levels by reporting time. Results generally supported using a retrospective pretest as a way to address changing metrics with self-report measures. This article further discusses when and how it is appropriate to use retrospective pretests in recreation research and evaluation.

Measuring Marital Satisfaction: A Comparison of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Satisfaction with Married Life Scale

Marital satisfaction has been psychometrically measured using many different instruments not soundly based on theory. The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), consisting of 14 items, is commonly accepted by researchers and practitioners to measure marital satisfaction but was not specifically designed to measure marital satisfaction. The Satisfaction with Married Life Scale (SWML), consisting of five items, is a short scale specifically targeted toward measuring marital satisfaction. An online sample collected from 1,187 couples throughout the United States was used to compare these instruments correlation (r = .782), factor structures, reliability (SWML, α = .958; RDAS, α = .943), theoretical foundation, and validity. These instruments are on parity with each other when measuring marital satisfaction; however, each instrument yields implications for practitioners and researchers desiring to measure marital satisfaction.

Paper/pencil versus online data collection: an exploratory study.

Abstract Usage of online data collection methods is increasing in leisure research. Some potential benefits to using online methods over traditional paper/pencil techniques include financial savings and easier access to large populations. Disadvantages, however, include difficulty in sample selection and variations of the instruments reliability. This study explores how subject responses potentially differ when collecting data online versus paper/pencil for six instruments commonly used within leisure research. A repeated measure design with paired sample t-tests and HLM was used with 207 college students to compare these methods of data collection. Responses differed between methods on three of the tested instruments. A general pattern was found suggesting participants perceived their anonymity was better protected when completing online questionnaires.

Satisfaction With Family Life Scale

We wanted to present validity and reliability data for the Satisfaction With Family Life (SWFL) scale. This instrument has been successfully used in a variety of family samples and offers a brief, widely applicable tool to measure satisfaction with family life. The SWFL scale, modeled after the Satisfaction With Life scale, was designed to assess an individuals global judgment of family satisfaction, which is theoretically predicted to depend on a comparison of family life circumstances with ones own standards and expectations. The scale consists of five items on a Likert-type scale. Data were collected from parents and adolescents in 15 different family samples that vary across time, place, and culture. Across all samples a consistent unidimensional factor structure was maintained, with Cronbachs alpha ranging from .94 to .79. Evidence of usability, criterion, and construct validity were also established. The SWFL scale consistently distinguishes differences in family satisfaction among samples that would theoretically be predicted to have different levels of family satisfaction. The SWFL scale provides a brief, psychometrically sound, and widely applicable option for measuring satisfaction with family life.

Positive youth development within a family leisure context: youth perspectives of family outcomes.

Although a variety of recreation programs provide valuable settings for youth development and should continue, the home should be considered the first and perhaps the most essential context for positive youth development. Family leisure experiences are purposively or intentionally planned by invested adults (parents) to create and maintain meaningful relationships and provide supportive opportunities for their children to learn skills and develop behaviors that will not only strengthen current family life but ultimately contribute to their overall positive development. The article presents family leisure research from a youth perspective and sets out the implications of the role of home-based core types of leisure that families engage in.

Influences on Active Family Leisure and a Healthy Lifestyle Among Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine how attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control influence adolescents’ intent to participate in active family leisure within the theory of plan behavior framework. Adolescents (N = 472) completed an online questionnaire about their perceptions and actual participation in active family leisure. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. A post-hoc analysis also considered individual leisure and its role on active family leisure. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of intent to participate in active family leisure.

A Critical Examination of Couple Leisure and the Application of the Core and Balance Model

Abstract This study further clarified the relationship between couple leisure involvement, couple leisure satisfaction, and marital satisfaction through examining the core and balance framework as it has been applied to the relationship between couple leisure and marital satisfaction. The sample consisted of 1,187 couples across the United States (N = 2,374). SEM analyses supported previous findings, indicating satisfaction with couple leisure involvement was far more important when predicting marital satisfaction than the amount of leisure involvement. Furthermore, while core marital leisure satisfaction was the driving force in the explanation of variance in marital satisfaction, findings suggested before that can happen there must be participation in both core and balance couple leisure. Additional findings, implications, and recommendations for further research are discussed.

Conceptualizing Structured Experiences: Seeking Interdisciplinary Integration

Abstract While consensus exists around the importance of providing structured experiences, the industries interested in offering such experiences lack a common body of shared knowledge about how most effectively to do so. Potentially complementary research on structured experiences remains fragmented across multiple fields such as leisure, tourism, and marketing. The purpose of this paper, therefore, was first to review and then integrate this scattered literature into a structured experience framework in order to facilitate experience-related research with broader applicability for both commercial and public organizations interested in providing structured experiences.

Leisure defined by perceiving choice: perspectives of Ugandan women

ABSTRACT The purpose of this phenomenological study was to expand the predominantly ethnocentric definitions of leisure by exploring the meaning of leisure among women in the developing East African nation of Uganda. Semi-structured interviews were used to understand the perspectives of 38 Ugandan women, and main themes were developed from the data using the constant comparative method. Our analysis revealed the core variable of perceiving choice emerging from themes including fortifying, restoring, and enjoying. Ugandan women used leisure to enhance their sense of identity, improve their health, build relationships and network, enhance their professional skills, strengthen family and community, refresh from daily work, and enjoy life. While leisure was often co-occurring with emotional and physical labour, women considered activities to be leisure when they perceived participation was freely chosen. The findings challenge the dichotomous relationship between work and leisure.

Examination of a complementary set of spiritual assessment tools for LDS clients

ABSTRACT The importance of providing culturally competent services has been promoted in the social work profession. With the Latter-day Saints (LDS) Church being the fourth largest and one of the faster growing churches in the United States, it is important for social workers to have an evidence-based, working knowledge of how to help members of this religious group. Utilising a mixed method approach, this study examined a complementary set of spiritual assessment tools by looking at five instruments’ level of cultural consistency, strengths, and limitations. Overall, results showed that each of the five spiritual assessment tools were congruent with LDS culture and if appropriately administered could help social workers provide appropriate and effective services that incorporate religion and spirituality. Results of this mixed method study offer an important step at providing evidence-based spiritual assessment tools for social workers seeking to provide culturally competent services to LDS clients.