Explaining Leisure Interests, Personality, Work Centrality, and Vocational Interests

The current study examined the relations between leisure interests and other vocational constructs among undergraduate university students. Methods included utilizing previously obtained data from a sample of 194 undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota, where study measures were given in 2007. Data collected included the Leisure Interest Questionnaire, used to determine leisure interests and activities outside the workplace; the International Personality Item Pool, a measure of five main personality traits; and the Strong Interest Inventory, a measure of vocational interests. Work centrality, or the importance of the role of work, was also assessed to determine the relations between leisure interests and vocational interests, given the importance of leisure versus work in an individual’s life. As predicted, significant correlations between leisure interests, vocational interests, and personality were found