Abstract
Main dimensions in the construct of leisure in a universitary sample. Numerous definitions of leisure can be found in the literature of the last twenty years. New elements are successively added to previous definitions with no much empirical research. The aim of this study is to contribute to the clarification of the concept of leisure from empirical bases. Taking into account the different dimensions of leisure suggested in the literature an scale to measure such dimensions was constructed and applied to an universitary sample. Leisure is studied from a triple perspective: what subjects think is leisure (Definition scale), the value they assign to leisure components (Importance scale) and, the level in which the leisure activities they practice are related to the different components of the definition of leisure (Activities scale). Multidimensional scaling techniques yielded two dimensions in which the component of the concept of leisure can be represented: level of effort and aim (for Importance and Definition scales). For the Activities scale the dimensions yielded were: level of effort and social interaction. The implications of these findings for the definition of leisure are discussed.
