17. The aim of the humanistic psychologist is not to search for unconscious processes or
environmental contingencies but to understand how individuals experience themselves,
others, and the world to help them actualize their potentials (see also Rogers, 1961).
18. Humanistic Theories help social psychologists understand how and why people strive
to make their lives meaningful.
19. Trait Theories use everyday language to describe personality.
20. Trait theories of personality have been largely derived from the words people use to
classify themselves and others in their everyday lives—adjectives like shy, devious,
manipulative, open or friendly.
21. Traits are emotional, motivational, cognitive and behavior tendencies that constitute
underlying dimensions of personality on which individuals vary.
22. A trait is an observed tendency to behave in a particular way. On the other, a trait is an
inferred underlying personality disposition that generates this behavioral tendency.
23. Trait theories provide the basis for most of the work on personality in leisure studies.
24. Researchers have attempted to predict leisure behavior based on individual differences,
as will be demonstrated shortly.
25. The most prominent and well-understood components of personality are those that
define individuals as consistently different in some ways from other individuals.
26. Samdahl(1988,1992)asked 18 young adults to carry a pager for a week to sample
their experience of leisure and nonliesure.
27. Even if one interacts with others(and surely much if not most of leisure
experience is social) and chooses to "go by the rules"(of a game, a dance , or an
organizational meeting) the experience of leisure is sustained to the extent that
the situation is relatively unimposing, thereby allowing individuals to "be
themselves".
28. Personality traits are more likely to be influential in such casual situations in
comparison to other situations where there are clear demands and expectations,
such as is common in work setting.