Examination of university students' recreation awareness and social achievement goals

This study examines the relationship between university students' recreation awareness and their social achievement goals. Recreation awareness refers to individuals' knowledge and attitudes about utilizing their free time efficiently and healthily, while social achievement level reflects their competence in social interactions and success in building social relationships. The literature frequently emphasizes that individuals who regularly participate in recreational activities improve their social skills, adapt more effectively to group dynamics, and achieve greater success in social relationships. In this context, the study is significant for its contribution to the existing body of knowledge. The study sample consisted of 500 volunteer participants (253 males and 247 females) enrolled at Bartın University's Faculty of Sport Sciences. Data collection tools included a personal information form prepared by the researcher, the Social Achievement Goal Scale, comprising 11 items and 3 sub-dimensions, adapted into Turkish by Aslan et al. (2017), and the Recreation Awareness Scale, comprising 41 items and 3 factors, developed by Ekinci and Özdilek (2019). Data were analyzed using the SPSS 24.0 software package. For normally distributed data, independent samples t-tests were conducted, while One-Way ANOVA was used to examine differences among three or more groups. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were applied to identify relationships between variables. The analysis revealed that female participants scored higher on the Recreation Awareness Scale compared to male participants. Conversely, male participants outperformed females on the "Performance Approach" sub-dimension of the Social Achievement Goal Scale. Additionally, significant differences were observed in various sub- dimensions of the Recreation Awareness Scale and Social Achievement Goal Scale based on participants' active sports engagement. Furthermore, it was found that as the "Skill" sub- dimension score of the Social Achievement Goal Scale increased, the scores on the sub- dimensions of the Recreation Awareness Scale also increased. These findings highlight the need to implement programs that encourage individuals to engage in active sports to utilize their free time more effectively. Integrating social achievement goals with recreational activities can foster the development of social skills and contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Keywords: Recreation, Social Success, Recreationa Awareness