A multidimensional scale of activity attachment for leisure tourists

Although the concept of activity attachment has been studied previously, the existing scales of activity attachment used only a single dimension or did not embody the discussion on behavioral domain. Furthermore, no previous studies have followed rigorous scale development procedures to explore the nature of activity attachment. In an effort to address this gap, this study aims to develop and validate a multidimensional scale of activity attachment for leisure tourists based on attachment theory. First, initial questionnaire items were generated from literature reviews and expert discussions. Second, exploratory factor analysis was conducted and four underlying dimensions were identified: emotion-symbol attachment, functional attachment, word-of-mouth intention attachment, and actual behavior attachment. Third, confirmatory factor analysis was employed and the result showed that the multidimensional activity attachment scale with four dimensions and 18 items has good fit, reliability, and validity. Implications of these findings for practical applications and future research are also provided.