THE MODERATING EFFECT OF SPOUSE SUPPORT ON THE RELATION BETWEEN SERIOUS LEISURE AND SPOUSES PERCEIVED LEISURE-FAMILY CONFLICT

This study examined whether spouse support moderates the relation betw een serious leisure (Stebbins, 1992) and spouses' perceived leisure-fa mily conflict. Buchanan's (1985) perspective on leisure commitment as affective attachment, side bets, and behavioral consistency was used t o measure commitment to serious leisure. Subjects were 342 spouses of runners who responded to a survey. Results of hierarchical moderated r egression analyses showed the relationship between runners' commitment and leisure-family conflict was moderated by spouses' level of suppor t for running. Implications of spouses' support for leisure interests are discussed with recommendations that future research address balanc e between leisure and family.