MEASURING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECIALIZATION AND PLACE ATTACHMENT IN A DEVELOPMENTAL AND PRACTICAL CONTEXT
Open Access
- Author:
- Song, Hwasung
- Graduate Program:
- Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 26, 2014
- Committee Members:
- Alan R Graefe, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Alan R Graefe, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Andrew Justin Mowen, Committee Member
Deborah Lee Kerstetter, Committee Member
William F. Elmendorf, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Specialization
Place attachment
Satisfaction
Typology
Comparison - Abstract:
- There has been a steady increase in hiking participation over the past decades and it is increasingly important for trail managers to develop innovative ways to respond to growing demands. One potential approach is by understanding hikers’ involvement in the activity and setting. This study examined hikers’ specialization and attachment to the setting through comparing different settings, investigating relationships with satisfaction, and developing a typology of hikers. Data for this study were collected using onsite interviews of Appalachian Trail (AT) and Olle Trail (OT) hikers. The first chapter provides an introduction and conceptual framework for the study. Results are then shown in the following three chapters, and summarized in chapter 5. Chapter 2 compares American and Korean hikers across individual dimensions of specialization and place attachment. A series of tests were conducted to understand the relationship between specialization and place attachment. There were interesting differences between them. Results suggest that knowledge and skill in hiking were not predictors of place attachment for both groups of hikers. While AT hikers’ hiking involvement (i.e. affective dimension) had only a direct influence on place identity, OT hikers’ involvement showed significant effects on place identity and place dependence. Chapter 3 focuses on expanding the relationship between specialization and place attachment theory by examining their association with satisfaction in outdoor recreation. Findings suggest the affective dimension of specialization has a linear relationship with both the place identity and place dependence factors of place attachment, which in turn made hikers feel more satisfied with their hiking and the setting itself. For the relationship between place attachment and satisfaction, there were different patterns for individual dimensions of place attachment with individual dimensions of hiking and place satisfaction. While the achievement dimension of hiking satisfaction and the amenity aspect of place satisfaction were influenced by place identity, place dependence was a significant predictor of the other aspects of hiking (i.e., enjoyment dimension) and place (i.e., nature dimension) satisfaction. Chapter 4 develops a hiker typology of specialization and place attachment and tries to examine the simultaneous effects of both concepts on hikers’ behavior. Three types of hikers emerged and included “Novice”, “Affection driven”, and “Expert” hikers. Significant differences existed among the types of hikers on both specialization and place attachment. Comparatively, the “Expert” class included older, higher income, more experienced and more educated hikers than the “Novice” group. Through these classes, I found that as specialization in hiking and place attachment to the setting increased, satisfaction (i.e., to the hiking and place at the site) and intention to revisit also increased. In addition, the “Affection driven” group showed different patterns for individual dimensions of specialization. For this class, place attachment was highly related to the affective dimension of specialization (i.e., activity involvement). Overall findings from the study indicate specialization and place attachment have a significant relationship in hiking, as previously thought. Past experience and hiking involvement (i.e., affective dimensions of specialization) were significant predictors of place attachment at both U.S. and Korea trails. Through this study, I found that as a trail develops and gains more popularity, the behavioral and cognitive aspects of specialization revealed a weaker relationship with attachment to the setting. Additionally, the mediation results indicated that place attachment was positively related to satisfaction. Results also showed that evaluations do vary significantly across the user typologies with the more specialized and more attached hikers being more satisfied with the setting and showing a higher intention to revisit. Future research is needed to examine these relationships in the same and other settings over periods of time.