A conceptual model reveals how adventure sport activities can enhance well-being by boosting pleasure and sense of meaningAdventure sport tourism combines travel and challenging outdoor recreation activities such as kayaking, mountain biking, orienteering, rock climbing, or surfing, and commonly involves participation in a competitive event. Although research examining the psychological processes related to adventure sport tourism is sparse, some evidence suggests improved well-being outcomes for adults. This theoretical article proposes a conceptual model for psychological well-being in adventure sport tourism. The model is based on an examination of how hedonic psychological well-being (well-being experienced through fun and pleasure) and eudaimonic psychological well-being (well-being experienced through a sense of meaning and purpose) can be achieved through adventure participation. Although the conceptual model is not youth-focused, it may help guide the design of outdoor adventure interventions that aim to optimize hedonic and eudaimonic well-being outcomes for young participants.
Development of the conceptual model was grounded in an analysis of literature across sport, leisure and tourism fields. Although motivations for engaging in adventure sports have traditionally been attributed to risk or thrill-seeking, “research increasingly suggests that adventure should be re-examined in terms of how it can promote well-being outcomes for diverse populations.” The literature links a range of psychological well-being outcomes to participation in adventure sports and activities, including long-term subjective well-being and life satisfaction. Optimal psychological well-being is theorized to include both hedonic and eudaimonic components. Hedonic well-being is “immediate enjoyment or happiness, characterized by positive affect and the absence of pain.” On the other hand, eudaimonic well-being is “a higher state of thriving attained through individual self-development and self-realization” that may be experienced by overcoming challenge, such as in adventure sports. The conceptual model is based in self-determination theory which posits that three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are essential mechanisms that enable well-being. Additionally, the authors contend that connection with nature is also a fundamental driver of well-being outcomes in recreational and tourism contexts.
Based on the literature, the authors propose that adventure sport tourism enables both hedonic and eudaimonic psychological well-being through opportunities to fulfill basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as nature connectedness. In the conceptual model, well-being development begins with the context of the adventure sport activity, which must be need-supportive to satisfy basic psychological needs. A need-supportive motivational climate can be created by providing choices and rationales for tasks, acknowledging feelings (especially risk-related fear), and encouraging personal initiative, independence and connection to others. During adventure sport tourism experiences, nature connectedness and basic psychological need satisfaction are theorized to “operate in tandem.” The model suggests a relationship in which increased psychological need satisfaction and nature connectedness enhance well-being indicators for participants. The authors recommend practices that may contribute to the well-being of adventure sport participants. These include promoting opportunities for choice, decision-making, understanding the rationale behind activities, participation in the development of events, and forming positive social connections. Further, fostering nature connectedness to support increased psychological well-being can be enhanced by providing opportunities for participants to feel psychologically connected with nature, encouraging a mindfulness approach to nature, and offering opportunities to care for the environment and remedy potential impacts of adventure sport activities. The authors also highlight the need for research to assess the conceptual model and detail recommendations to guide future research.
The article contributes to an understanding of how and through which conditions adventure sport tourism may facilitate hedonic and eudaimonic psychological well-being. The underlying mechanisms of the model —basic psychological need satisfaction and nature connectedness—reveal how well-being outcomes may be achieved in adventure sports. While the literature reviewed was not focused on youth, the model helps to identify an array of practices that may improve hedonic and eudaimonic psychological well-being through outdoor adventures for young people. Overall, the article lends support to the potential of adventure sports as an approach to improve participants’ mental health and offers key considerations for adventure sport program developers. Further research, which may be guided by the article’s recommendations, is needed to test the conceptual model.
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