The present study investigated a set of eleven aesthetic and recreational activities according to the types of experiences they provide. Aesthetic, Escapist and Agentic experiences were studied. Aesthetic experiences were defined as those that absorb one's full attention and arouse one's senses and emotions to a state of transcendance. Escapist experiences were defined as those sought as desirable substitutes for a presently anxious or unpleasant state. Agentic experiences are those that the individual uses in an instrumental fashion to acquire information or learning. It was found that the dimensions underlying activity similarity for each type of experience included: presence vs. absence of a story line, nonvisual sensory stimulation, active vs. passive participation, solitary vs. group involvement and in-home vs. out-of-home setting.
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