Leisure needs and vacation satisfaction

Abstract

Following a classical approach to the conceptualization of human needs, we adapted Beard and Ragheb's (1983) Leisure Motivation Scale to measure expressed needs prior to a vacation and met needs following a vacation in four domains: social, intellectual, competence mastery, and stimulus avoidance. All four met‐needs measures were significantly related to vacation satisfaction. For men, levels of expressed intellectual and competence mastery were positively related to vacation satisfaction; for women, level of expressed social needs was negatively related to vacation satisfaction. Results are discussed in terms of the need‐satisfying properties of vacations, gender differences, and suggestions for future research.