Satisfaction with time use and its relationship with subjective well-being

Much research on time use has been based on assumptions about clock and calendar time. Less is known about how people experience their time use, what makes people satisfied with their time use and about the nature of the relationship between the use of time and well-being. This thesis addressed these questions though literature reviews of well-being and time-use and two empirical studies. The first study employed a qualitative design using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 21 purposefully selected participants. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. The ten super-ordinate themes that emerged from the data as contributing to satisfaction with time use were allocated into four overarching categories: Motivation, Organisation, Execution and Evaluation. The objectives of the second quantitative study were to investigate if key themes identified in the previous study would be replicated with a larger sample and to examine relationships between satisfaction with time use, subjective well-being, and locus of control. The study employed a survey design using postal questionnaires, completed by 173 randomly selected Open University students. A factor analysis of the time use questionnaire produced four factors: liking what one does and perceiving it as worthwhile; balance; achievement and responsibility; time anxiety and lack of control. These factors accounted for 40% of the variance in satisfaction with time use. Satisfaction with time use was also found to correlate significantly with various wellbeing measures. The studies highlighted a number of factors contributing to satisfaction with time use previously ignored or under-researched in the time use literature, including motivation for time use activities, perceived balance in time allocation, taking responsibility for one's time, and the sense of achievement. The findings suggest that in terms of satisfaction with time use, time use interventions might be more helpful if focused on psychological aspects of time use, and less on time management techniques

Beyond time management: how the latest research on time perspective and perceived time use can assist clients with time-related concerns

In this article questions such as “What is a good use of time?” and “How can one’s relationship with time contribute to their well-being?” are raised and discussed with regard to empirical research on various aspects of psychology of time. In the fist part of the paper, the construct of time perspective is considered. It is argued that a balanced time perspective is associated with the highest levels of well-being. The second part draws on qualitative and quantitative research and addresses the concept of perceived time use. Four factors, are shown to play a major role in how people spend their time and how happy they feel with it: liking what one does and perceiving it as worthwhile, balance, responsibility and achievement, and time anxiety and lack of control. The last part of the paper considers practical implications of psychology of time for coaches and other professionals

Satisfaction with time use and its relationship with subjective well-being

Much research on time use has been based on assumptions about clock and calendar time. Less is known about how people experience their time use, what makes people satisfied with their time use and about the nature of the relationship between the use of time and well-being. This thesis addressed these questions though literature reviews of well-being and time-use and two empirical studies. The first study employed a qualitative design using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 21 purposefully selected participants. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. The ten super-ordinate themes that emerged from the data as contributing to satisfaction with time use were allocated into four overarching categories: Motivation, Organisation, Execution and Evaluation. The objectives of the second quantitative study were to investigate if key themes identified in the previous study would be replicated with a larger sample and to examine relationships between satisfaction with time use, subjective well-being, and locus of control. The study employed a survey design using postal questionnaires, completed by 173 randomly selected Open University students. A factor analysis of the time use questionnaire produced four factors: liking what one does and perceiving it as worthwhile; balance; achievement and responsibility; time anxiety and lack of control. These factors accounted for 40% of the variance in satisfaction with time use. Satisfaction with time use was also found to correlate significantly with various wellbeing measures. The studies highlighted a number of factors contributing to satisfaction with time use previously ignored or under-researched in the time use literature, including motivation for time use activities, perceived balance in time allocation, taking responsibility for one's time, and the sense of achievement. The findings suggest that in terms of satisfaction with time use, time use interventions might be more helpful if focused on psychological aspects of time use, and less on time management techniques

Personal consultancy: an integrative approach to one-to-one talking practices

Despite a proliferation of ‘one-to-one’ taking practices that include counselling, psychotherapy and coaching, the existing approaches do not seem to by fully adequate, starting from their very names to, more importantly, the help that they can offer to clients. Broadly speaking, counselling and psychotherapy are mostly remedial, and usually lack more ‘positive’ or pro-active elements. Coaching, on the other hand, can be charged with not addressing deeper, underlying issues, and consequently being superficial. Personal consultancy approach allows practitioners to integrate the depth perspective, offered by counselling and psychotherapy, with an opportunity to make constructive, practical changes, associated with coaching. This is possible because all of these practices, in fact, use similar skills, and their domains already overlap to a large extent. In building its framework three essential elements of ‘one-to-one’ practices are considered first: the client, the consultant and the interaction (relationship) between them. On this basis four stages of the personal consultancy process are suggested: authentic listening, re-balancing, generating and supporting. The paper will expand on them, discussing the appropriate attitudes, methods, and techniques that can be used at each stage, in order to assist the process

Beyond time management: how the latest research on time perspective and perceived time use can assist clients with time-related concerns

In this article questions such as “What is a good use of time?” and “How can one’s relationship with time contribute to their well-being?” are raised and discussed with regard to empirical research on various aspects of psychology of time. In the fist part of the paper, the construct of time perspective is considered. It is argued that a balanced time perspective is associated with the highest levels of well-being. The second part draws on qualitative and quantitative research and addresses the concept of perceived time use. Four factors, are shown to play a major role in how people spend their time and how happy they feel with it: liking what one does and perceiving it as worthwhile, balance, responsibility and achievement, and time anxiety and lack of control. The last part of the paper considers practical implications of psychology of time for coaches and other professionals

Personal Consultancy: An integrative approach to one-to-one talking practices

Despite a proliferation of ‘one-to-one’ taking practices that include counselling, psychotherapy and coaching, the existing approaches do not seem to by fully adequate, starting from their very names to, more importantly, the help that they can offer to clients. Broadly speaking, counselling and psychotherapy are mostly remedial, and usually lack more ‘positive’ or pro-active elements. Coaching, on the other hand, can be charged with not addressing deeper, underlying issues, and consequently being superficial. Personal consultancy approach allows practitioners to integrate the depth perspective, offered by counselling and psychotherapy, with an opportunity to make constructive, practical changes, associated with coaching. This is possible because all of these practices, in fact, use similar skills, and their domains already overlap to a large extent. In building its framework three essential elements of ‘one-to-one’ practices are considered first: the client, the consultant and the interaction (relationship) between them. On this basis four stages of the personal consultancy process are suggested: authentic listening, re-balancing, generating and supporting. The paper will expand on them, discussing the appropriate attitudes, methods, and techniques that can be used at each stage, in order to assist the process

Internet Access at Home and its Relationship to Well-being in Deprived Areas of London

Purpose: The existing studies of the association between Internet usage and well-being have produced contradictory results. This study explores the associations between Internet access at home and well-being, as well as other lifestyle variables. Design/methodology/approach: The study was done in a probability sample of 800 community-dwelling adults aged 16 and over in six most deprived areas of the Redbridge borough of London. Using face-to-face interviews, information on the demographics, lifestyle, Internet access at home, happiness, trait hope, and subjective health was obtained. Path analysis and structural equation modelling were used to investigate the associations between Internet access and well-being, controlling for demographic variables. Findings: Respondents with home Internet access had stronger social ties with friends and relatives, engaged in a wider repertoire of community creative activities and cultural events, and reported having higher social support. Controlling for demographic variables, Internet access at home was a weak but statistically significant predictor of happiness, agency, and absence of mental health problems. The effect of home Internet access on happiness was partially mediated by social ties. Research limitations/implications: The correlational nature of the study forbids making causal inferences. The data suggest that people with low socioeconomic status may derive wellbeing benefits from having access to information technology which can serve as an instrument for social integration. Originality/value: The data provide a demographic snapshot of the digital divide in one of the most deprived areas of London