Testing the Dimensionality of Place Attachment in Recreational Settings

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…