The experience of leisure in aquatic environment

The aim of the present study is to test a model which will explain the dynamic between the antecedents and the consequences of the leisure experience. The model stipulates that motivation should significantly impact on the experience of leisure. More specifically, the prediction states that the more the individual is self-directed during the practice of a leisure activity, the greater should be the impact of the leisure experience. The model also predicts that the presence of water, during a leisure experience, will affect the experience. More specifically, the intensity of the leisure experience should increase proportionately to the degree of contact with the water. Finally, the prediction states that an intense experience of leisure will have positive effects on the individual's life. In other words, the more intense and the more positive the experience of leisure enjoyed by the individual, the more positively they will assess their level of physical fitness and their satisfaction with their life. The results of this study will be discussed in relation with Tinsley and Tinsley's model (1986), Vallerand's hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (1997) and Forgas' model of affect infusion.