Place Attachment among Dispersed and Event Recreationists on Public Lands

Place attachment has received considerable attention in the outdoor recreation literature. While the core dimensions of place identity and dependence have been measured using a reliable scale, social bonding remains understudied. Based at a public land setting offering opportunities for both traditional outdoor (dispersed) and socially driven (event) recreation experiences, the study purpose is (i) develop a reliable and valid alternative social bonding scale and (ii) use the scale in an exploratory study to compare place attachment across the two recreation groups. Using quantitative survey methods, our study resulted in an alternative social bonding scale and revealed place attachment differences across activities and settings. Specifically, event participants exhibited stronger place attachments than dispersed recreationists. Among the dimensions, both place identity and dependence were significantly stronger for event goers as compared to dispersed users. Social bonding was highest among event goers with this being significantly higher than the other dimensions. Management implications of these findings are discussed.