Pickleball, Personality, and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

This study explored how personality and serious leisure activities, such as playing pickleball, contribute to eudaimonic wellbeing in middle-aged and older adults. Data were collected at pickleball events at the 2017 Huntsman World Senior Games from a convenience sample of 250 players aged between 50 and 91 years (M = 65.11, SD = 7.49). Of the five personality dispositions examined, conscientiousness (beta = 0.32, p < .001), neuroticism (beta = -0.22, p < .01), and openness to experience (beta = 0.18, p < .01) were discovered to be significant predictors of eudaimonic well-being. Serious leisure also contributed to eudaimonic well-being (beta = 0.28, p < .01). The findings of this study enhance the understanding of the behaviors exhibited by older adults and elucidate the positive impact exerted on eudaimonic well-being by personality and serious leisure.