Reexamining the significance of childhood recreation patterns on adult leisure behavior

This study is the examination of the impact of childhood participation levels in outdoor recreation on the activity level of that individual as an adult. The study is based on a stratified random sample of adult residents in eight northeastern Iowa counties. Forty‐five outdoor recreation activities were used to determine the “carry‐over” of participation from childhood to adulthood. The results indicate a direct effect of the childhood level of participation on adult level of participation. Only eight of forty‐five activities seem to carry over; therefore, prediction of specific activity carryover is very limited. Implications for educating for leisure and aspects of socialization are discussed.     

Socio‐demographic variables,recreational resource use,and attitudes toward development in Camrose,Alberta

The paper examines relationships between socio‐demographic variables, recreational behavior, and attitudes toward development of a natural recreational resource among a city‐wide sample of residents of the city of Camrose, Alberta. Three aspects of recreation behavior, namely participation in recreation in general, participation in selected activities, and use of the resource were found to be associated with four socio‐demographic variables. The relationship with age was the strongest and most consistent, but income, education, and family size were also important. None of the aspects of recreation behavior was related to sex and marital status, nor was it possible to use any of the variables as predictors of the frequency of recreational activity. Respondents additionally differed with regard to the perceived importance of future decisions about the resource, and it was found that variations in preferences for future activities and proposals were consistent with these perceptions and with current use patterns. The findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical contribution to research on socio‐demographic variables arid recreation behavior, notably with reference to opportunity theory, and with reference to their role in choosing strategies of recreational management.     

The Participation of Children,Adolescents, and Young Adults in Nature-Based Recreation

This investigation considers the participation of children, adolescents and young adults in nature-based recreation. We draw upon the recreation narratives of forty-seven adult recreationists in the activities of tramping, angling, hunting and mountaineering, obtained from in-depth interviews. In particular, the study considers the transitions from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood, and examines how our participants maintained their participation, or alternatively, disengaged from their activity over this period. The paper provides empirical support for the role of family, and early exposure to nature based recreation in fostering enduring participation. Failing this, the role of school, club and outdoor organizational support and mentoring, right through to tertiary study was highlighted. We also identify a critical role for unstructured outdoor play for young children in nature. The paper discusses challenges for this, and for mentoring, in both formal and informal senses, as pathways into nature-based recreation in an increasingly risk averse society.     

Recreation Specialization Among ATV Users and Its Relationship to Environmental Attitudes and Management Preferences on the Island of Newfoundland

The purpose of this study was to identify and document the attitudes, perceptions, and resource management preferences of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) users through the recreation specialization framework. Data were collected on the Burin Peninsula on the south coast of the island portion of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Variables were operationalized using a quantitative survey which generated an 8-item specialization index based on behavioral, cognitive, and affective measures of involvement in ATV riding. Three distinct subgroups of ATV users were identified through K-means cluster analysis. One-way ANOVA tests revealed significant differences across specialization groups. Results document the spectrum of attitudes and management preferences and provide recommendations for outdoor recreation policies that reflect the needs of a wide variety of ATV users.     

Voluntary association membership of outdoor recreationists: An exploratory study

Abstract

Research on the political activity of outdoor recreationists has focused primarily on their associational affiliations and concern for the environment. This article reviews literature on theories of collective behavior, recreation motivations, and environmental concern. The study considers outdoor recreation as a social movement and investigates relationships between incentives for voluntary membership in environmental and outdoor recreation associations, motivations for participation in outdoor recreation activities, and environmental concern. Members of associations were found to be significantly different than nonmembers on several variables including value for outdoor recreation, incentives for association membership, intellectual motivations for outdoor recreation, environmental concern, education level, and age. Results suggest that association efforts to obtain instrumental benefits, or public goods that accrue to all of society, are a primary incentive for outdoor recreationists to join voluntary associations. A common thread of intellectual pursuit distinguished members from nonmembers, suggesting that intellectual benefits may help define the relationship between outdoor recreation and associational affiliation behaviors.     

World Leisure and Recreation Association International Position Statement on Leisure Education and Populations of Special Needs

Outdoor recreation may foster positive environmental views among participants and their nonparticipating household members, but little research has addressed this hypothesis at the household level. We address this gap with a case study evaluating both the individual-and household-level relationship between outdoor recreation and environmental views using the new ecological paradigm scale (NEP). Results suggest NEP relates positively to appreciative outdoor recreation participation and negatively to nonappreciative outdoor recreation participation for participants and their household members. Future research should focus on how household dynamics mediate the relationship between environmental views and outdoor recreation.     

Influence of recreation on education aspiration

In the wide context of travel and tourism, recreation plays a significant role in occupying holiday‐maker's agenda, so much so that destination is often sought based on recreation activities it offers. Campus recreation for example, is a major component that influences the young when choosing the destination in which to pursue higher education. However, the truly‐important‐but‐often‐dismissed role of recreation is perhaps its value towards the intellectual development of youth. This special value is perhaps more apparent if we discuss it in the context of adolescents in a campus setting i.e. the students. This study is an attempt to examine the relationship between these two dimensions. Specially, it looked at the link between recreation and academic aspirations and achievement using a specific student population. Aspiration is measured by looking at an individual's attitudes, motivation and expectation with regard to formal education. Findings from the study indicated a strong relationship between intensity of recreation with aspiration. It is found that the more intense the recreation activity, the more positive the individual's aspiration towards in class learning is. However, the same cannot be concluded for relationship between intensity of recreation with academic achievement. This is because the study found that individuals who recreate most intensely do not show good academic achievement. The same scenario is also true for those who recreate least intensely. Individuals who showed the best academic achievement are found to be those who recreation intensity is comparatively moderate. The study provided several recommendations for the planning and provision of recreation activities in institutions of higher learning and emphasized the need for students to recognize the importance of balancing academic and nonacademic pursuit in their time management.     

Outdoor recreation participation and views on resource development and preservation

Abstract

Views on the preservation of resources versus their development for recreation are compared among participants in three types of outdoor recreation: “appreciative”; activities (cross‐country skiing, hiking, and canoeing); “consumptive”; activities (fishing and hunting); and “mechanized”; activities (motorboating, snowmo‐biling, and trail biking). The results from a 1984 questionnaire survey conducted in Edmonton and Calgary, Canada, indicate a stronger preservationist orientation among participants in appreciative activities, whereas (with the exception of hunters) participants in consumptive and mechanized activities hold stronger pro‐development views. These differences cannot be attributed to simultaneous variations in socioeco‐nomic characteristics or environmental attitudes among the recreational groups. The findings suggest that differences in outdoor recreational activity preferences represent an important source of variation in views about appropriate levels of preservation versus development of Alberta's natural and wildernesss resources.     

Modelling preferences for nature-based recreation activities

This research contributes to a better understanding of visitors’ preferences and behavioural patterns in national parks and protected areas. A conceptual model is proposed to explain why visitors prefer particular nature- or culture-based activities. It integrates three components – outdoor recreation participation, expectancy-value and environmental attitudes. The New Environmental Paradigm is used to capture environmental attitudes, and the motivations for travelling to parks are based on the push and pull motivation factors. Structural equation modelling is used to test the proposed model using data from 401 domestic visitors to Portuguese parks and other protected areas. Results show that nature-based sports are influenced by motivation to do adventurous sports and by social norms; the pro-environmental attitudes, the motivation to enjoy nature and the influence of others affect the interest in interpretation activities; the model’s strongest impact on recreation activities is from culture-related motives.     

Recreation research and planning in the federal republic of Germany: A commentary

Abstract

German recreation planning is strongly oriented toward the maintenance and provision of outdoor recreation areas. The rapidly growing consumption of outdoor recreation activities within a densely populated area has led to refined procedures of evaluating landuse potential and distributing outdoor facilities within environmental constraints. One such procedure is the use of attractivity models. Such models utilize a matrix of social, aesthetic, physical, and infrastructure attributes to arrive at a ranking of attractivity for given landscapes. The rankings are the basis of general landuse decisions and outdoor recreation investment procedures.     

Editor's note

The relationship between work and leisure has most often been described in terms of three basic models. First, the spillover model suggests that one's choice of leisure is affected by interests and attitudes developed during work. Second, the compensation model holds that leisure choices are the opposite of one's work activities, thus providing satisfaction not realized in the work context. Third, according to the segmentation model, work and leisure are distinct life domains and do not interact. Occasionally, a fourth perspective is added: Work and leisure are mutually influential. Evidence for the first three perspectives is mixed. Moreover, there is a units‐of‐analysis problem in studying work and leisure; that is, what about work and leisure is comparable? A patterned socialization model of work and leisure that encompasses and augments these perspectives is presented in this article. Evidence from the outdoor recreation activities of a sample of workers in the machining and tooling industries of western Pennsylvania is consistent with the position that work and leisure influence each other and that both are the result of prior socialization. The units‐of‐analysis problem is solved to some extent for this group of informants by comparing their work with machines and their leisure experiences with machines. Finally, machinists who engage in more outdoor recreation activities using machines are more satisfied with their leisure, in general.     

Outdoor recreation expenditures and the effects of spatial structure

Abstract

Visitor expenditure models have been the focus of substantial attention in outdoor recreation research because of their significance in estimating local economic impacts. At the disaggregate level models have usually included simple measures of distance decay and variables representing the attributes of households and supply features. Scholars have ignored the differential effects that the spatial structure of opportunities might have upon expenditures. This paper presents an analysis of the effects of spatial structure upon visitor expenditures for outdoor recreation in Oklahoma. Analyses are presented which identify and differentiate the relative effects of spatial structure upon visitor expenditures and the alternative forms of spatial diversification behavior consistent with such expenditure patterns.     

Diversity in a democracy: Expanding the recreation opportunity spectrum

Abstract

Diversity in tastes among the public for outdoor recreation has been a consistent finding from more than two decades of research. A number of planning and management systems have been designed to accommodate this diversity. The most recent and highly developed design has been the recreation opportunity spectrum, which suggests, among other things, relatively standard relationships between recreation setting conditions to produce a variety of opportunity classes. This paper suggests that these relationships may, ironically, limit rather than encourage potential diversity in outdoor recreation. More liberal interpretation of these relationships is suggested.     

The importance of urban milieu in predicting recreation participation: The case of day hiking

Abstract

Numerous outdoor recreation forecasting studies have included household characteristics as well as aspects of the recreation facilities and accessibility. Only a few studies, however, have included in the prediction equation any measure of the effects of urban milieu on behavior. Four commonly cited surrogates of urban milieu are used to cluster the cities of Illinois into three relatively homogeneous groups of environments. Regression analyses are then undertaken using individual household data, aspects of the recreation facilities patronized by the households, participation, and distance and travel time estimates. Comparisons of the regression analyses indicate that, as a concept, milieu is an important predictor of both the volume of recreation participation and salient features of recreation facilities.     

Attitudes toward outdoor recreation development: An application of social exchange theory

A research project was undertaken within a multi‐county region in southeastern Ohio to ascertain the attitudes of local residents toward future outdoor recreation development within the area. A systematic random sample of 1493 respondents was drawn from a five‐county region to test a theoretical perspective developed from selected components of social exchange theory. The findings demonstrated that the respondents held very favorable attitudes toward outdoor recreation development. Multivariate analysis of the data revealed that the theoretical model was basically supported. The findings are discussed from both applied and theoretical perspectives.     

Leisure,recreation and tourism in Western Europe

This article is partly a literature review of trends and intercountry comparisons in leisure, recreation and tourism activities in Western Europe. A wide range of conclusions is drawn, some applying to needs for public sector actions.     

Modeling Daily Outdoor Recreation Participation and Time-Use as a Two-Stage Choice Process: A Finnish Example

This study examines the determinants of daily participation and time-use in nature-based outdoor recreation among the Finnish population, comparing frequently used modeling methods. Using an original time diary dataset, results show that daily participation decision is mainly influenced by age, dog ownership, potential unemployment and timing of the day (weekend vs. weekday, summer vs. autumn), whereas the main determinants for the daily time-use are age, timing of the day, gender and province. Results indicate that a simple two-part model (probit and OLS) is an appropriate approach for modeling the daily decision process concerning nature-based recreation behavior.     

Editorial: research notes

Abstract

Although wilderness trips are typically co‐led, there is a deficit of research literature exploring the dynamics of co‐leadership in the field. This study was conducted to determine the skills and traits outdoor adventure trip leaders perceived to be important for their co‐leaders to possess on an extended outdoor trip. Utilizing Q‐methodology, a 36‐item instrument developed from the leadership literature was administered to 17 outdoor leaders. Three factors representing three distinct leadership beliefs were determined and are characterized by the titles: People‐Empowering Leaders, Wilderness‐Power Leaders, and Universal Leaders. Five trends in leader/co‐leader preferences are discussed. This study offers implications to practice in outdoor recreation for organizations and outdoor trip leaders.     

Information Needs and Search Behaviors: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Groups in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests,California

The current ethnic population coupled with higher birth rates and immigration will dramatically affect participation in outdoor recreation. Recreation area managers must be able to decipher current and potential visitors' needs and motivations for visiting. This article examines various aspects of information use and search behaviors among National Forest visitors, notably among various ethnic groups and types of users. Uses and gratifications (U&G) theory was used as the basis for identification of relevant uses of Forest Service Information. Consistent with previous studies, Whites generally reported using all available information sources to a greater extent than Hispanics or Other Minority Groups. Hispanics were least likely to approach rangers or employees for information, and Other Minority Groups were least likely to pay attention to bulletin boards. Flyers and brochures were among the most frequently used information sources for all ethnic groups. Whites were more likely to seek out information for orientation and educational purposes, while Hispanics attributed more importance to instrumental uses, like seeking information about parking facilities, permits and operating hours. An attempt was made to adapt communication theories to the field of outdoor recreation. Future research should expand upon the U&G theory due to its importance and applicability in the field of outdoor recreation.     

Financial implications of outdoor recreation planning practices: A case study from Virginia

Abstract

A financial analysis of Virginia's outdoor recreation program is presented. The conclusions of the paper may be applicable to many state recreation programs. First, state recreation planning procedures are not realistic; that is, projected requirements for recreational facility development cannot be satisfied within expected budget constraints. Second, increases in user fees and/or increases in general funds allocated to recreation will be necessary to support only modest recreation development for the future.