An Analysis of the Relatedness Effect in Leisure Sports: Collective Versus Individual Leisure Sports

Who feels happier between collective and individual sports participants? The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of relatedness on subjective well-being depending on the type of leisure sports. Accordingly, 788 adults participating in leisure sports in South Korea were divided into the categories of collective and individual leisure sports participants. Relatedness in sports, leisure sports participation behavior, leisure satisfaction, and subjective well-being were analyzed. The results of this study are as follows. First, collective leisure sports participants had higher mean values in leisure satisfaction as well as subjective well-being than individual ones. Additionally, the difference was statistically significant. Second, relatedness in sports bore a statistically significant impact on both leisure satisfaction and subjective well-being, regardless of the demographic characteristics as controlled variables. The importance of relatedness in leisure sports is discussed and academic and practical implications are provided in this study.