Martin, L. J. (1927). Characteristics of current amusements. In L. J. Martin, Round the world with a psychologist (pp. 97-103). San Francisco, CA, US: J W Stacey.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/13395-007
Food, clothing and shelter have, from time immemorial, been recognized as the essential factors in living. Recently the list has been enlarged to include amusement. This is doubtless due to the fact that it is now well known that the thought and emotional life of a person without amusement is too circumscribed. The result is that without play the daily life becomes a grind, lacking inspiration, free play of the imagination, a more sympathetic attitude towards life, and a mental and physical agility that make for understanding and tolerance. All in all, the person without amusement and recreation is, both in his work and in his leisure, a person who thinks in too straight a line. The facts outside of his daily routine that should direct and modify the course of his vocational mental activity pass unnoticed unless amusement enters in to interrupt his usual trend of thought and leaves him free to take in, momentarily at least, what passes around him. He fails entirely to enrich that thought that has to do with his vocation. The last generation in its youth was reacting normally to the repression and "play is waste" idea of the preceding generation. In time, perhaps in another generation or so, a more healthful balance will be established through the intelligent understanding of the respective values of work and play. Everywhere in the world today all forms of amusement have a particularly strong physical appeal and a very simple thought and emotion content. After visiting places of amusement of high and low order in all parts of the world I am convinced that we are doing ourselves a great injustice by vulgarizing our emotions and stultifying our thoughts by the type of pleasures we now condone. In looking at the stage as a whole, and by this I include the legitimate drama, the vaudeville and moving picture shows, we see everywhere that, while the productions improve marvelously in artistic setting, the plays themselves show marked deterioration. The fact is, that the theaters of the Orient are changing very rapidly, a theatrical Europeanization and foreignizing is taking place. The taking of alcohol in the form of beer, wine and whisky is probably one of the most common forms of amusement in the world today. This is because of the immediate action that produces a pleasant feeling of exhilaration and excitement, and that is an instigator and stimulator to other amusements. From a political point of view the English have taken possession of the world. The same is true of the world of amusement; sport is the great avocation of the world today, and a very healthful avocation it is for both young and old, provided each person participates himself, thereby deriving physical and mental refreshment from it. When viewed as a whole, the subject of amusement becomes increasingly important from the fact that more time and money are constantly being spent in its pursuit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)