2003, 'An Examination of the Relationship between Leisure Activity Involvement and Place Attachment among Hikers Along the Appalachian Trail

Abstract: The purpose of the investigation was to examine the effect of constraints on the development of enduring involvement and commitment to a service provider. Two models were examined; (a) the first model had constraints as an antecedent of involvement and commitment, and (b) the second model had constraints mediating the relationship between involvement and commitment. Overall, these findings indicated that constraints inhibit the development of enduring involvement but not the development of individual preferences for specific service providers. In particular, Other Priorities- which focused on respondents ’ time commitments- was the strongest predictor of involvement. As respondents ’ scores on this component increased, their scores on all dimensions of involvement declined. Alternately, as respondents ’ scores on the Setting Elements- a measure of the condition encountered on site-dimension increased, their scores on the Centrality dimension also increased. Finally, consistent with previous research involvement was an antecedent of commitment. As respondents ’ involvement with the activity increased, so too did their emotional attachment to the service provider and its settings, their dependence on these settings, and their social bonds to the setting