Testing the dimensionality of place attachment in recreational settings Academic Article

abstract

• The purpose of this investigation was to examine the psychometric properties of a place-attachment scale using data collected from visitors to the Appalachian Trail in the United States. These data supported a correlated three-factor model consisting of place identity, place dependence, and social bonding. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to cross-validate the model using two sub-samples of the data. Latent factor means were also compared. Although these analyses provided mixed evidence indicating the scale to be a valid and reliable measure of place attachment, there remains some concern about the performance of several indicators (i.e., low factor loadings, low reliability). Latent mean differences were also observed between the two groups on the place identity dimension. The analyses presented in this investigation provide an example of the utility of covariance structure analysis for testing the psychometric properties of scales and for comparing latent mean differences among groups within populations.

authors

• Kyle, Gerard

published proceedings

• ENVIRONMENT AND BEHAVIOR

author list (cited authors)

• Kyle, G., Graefe, A., & Manning, R.

citation count

• 400

complete list of authors

• Kyle, G||Graefe, A||Manning, R

publication date

• January 2005

publisher

• SAGE Publications  Publisher

published in

• Environment and Behavior  Journal

keywords

• Latent Mean Differences
• Place Attachment
• Scale Testing
• Structural Equation Modeling

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1177/0013916504269654

start page

• 153

end page

• 177

volume

• 37

issue

• 2

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013916504269654