Place Attachment Theory Research Articles

Constructing a model of exhibition attachment: Motivation, attachment, and loyalty

Drawing upon the theory of place attachment, this study proposes an innovative concept of exhibition attachment. Based on an in-depth literature review, a conceptual model of exhibition attachment was constructed, including push/pull motivation, attachment, and loyalty. To test the model, empirical data was collected from attendees at a trade exhibition. The results show a certain degree of correlation between attendees' push motivation and pull motivation. Pull motivation had a significant impact on exhibition dependence, which in turn had a positive and strong impact on exhibition identity. While both exhibition dependence and exhibition identity had an impact on attendees’ loyalty, exhibition identity had a greater impact on exhibition loyalty. The theoretical and managerial implications of these results are discussed.

Domestic tourists to Sardinia: motivation, overall attitude, attachment, and behavioural intentions

Using place attachment theory, we test a conceptual model that postulates tourist motivation, overall attitude, and place attachment as significant predictors of tourists’ intentions to recommend a destination. Existing studies fail to evaluate the influence of both motivation and overall attitude on place attachment. The conceptual model is tested on a sample of 275 domestic visitors to the island of Sardinia, Italy. The results show that motives such as socialization, novelty and learning, and escape and relaxation have positive relationships with overall attitude and place attachment. Both overall attitude and place attachment are significant predictors of intention to recommend. The findings have several theoretical and managerial implications for destination marketing and the development of place attachment.

Place Attachment in the Bible: The Role of Attachment to Sacred Places in Religious Life

This paper examines the role of place attachment in religious life by analyzing various significant place events in the Bible, using analysis of biblical discourse. The paper looks at various biblical places, and explores the implications of approaching these sacred settings in terms of place attachment theory. In the Old Testament we focus on Mount Sinai, Canaan, and Jerusalem, and in the New Testament on Galilee, Jerusalem, and on view that Christianity, to some extent, transcends place attachment. The nature of the attachments to these places is diverse and varied. The claim is that place attachment theory can make a valuable theoretical contribution to an analysis of the role of place in the Bible, as an addition to the growing literature on the psychological interpretation of the Bible.

Youth in Public Housing: Place attachment and Quality of Life Index

This study examines the quality of life (QoL) satisfaction through place attachment theory upon neighbourhood area among youth in Kuala Lumpur. The objectives are to test the impact of neighbourhood sense of place on QoL index. For place attachment, the environmental factors closest to the home of the residents exerted a greater influence than the more distal factor. These findings contribute to understanding the relationship between place attachment theory and quality of life among youth. The discussion also considers personal dimensions of place belonging and identifying associations amongst them as ways to explore youth quality of life in the PPH. Keywords: Quality of Life; Place Attachment Theory; Youth; Public HousingISSN: 2398-4287© 2017. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

Mediating Effects of Place Attachment and Satisfaction on the Relationship between Tourists’ Emotions and Intention to Recommend

This study develops a model based on the developmental theory of place attachment. The model considers the influence of tourists’ emotions on place attachment and the mediating effects of satisfaction and place attachment on the relationship between tourists’ emotions and intention to recommend. The model was tested using data collected from 464 international tourists at the end of their trip to Thailand. Results show that positive emotions, negative emotions and satisfaction are significant determinants of place attachment. In particular, negative emotions display a positive relationship with place attachment. In addition, only satisfaction mediates the relationship between tourists’ emotions and intention to recommend. Findings highlight the need for researchers to incorporate emotions in modeling place attachment and offer implications for marketers promoting Thailand as a tourist destination.

Developing civic engagement in university education: predicting current and future engagement in community services

One of the important goals of education is for students to learn to be responsible civic participants. Thus, the time students spend in college is invaluable. It is important that students learn to participate and be responsible citizens of their community during their time in college (Giles and Eyler in Mich J Community Serv Learn 1:77–85, 1994). In this study, a program to help achieve this important educational goal is presented and evaluated. This involved the examination of the impact of actual participation in a community service activity on students’ changes in attitudes and future intentions. A path model based on predictions drawn from place attachment theory was developed and tested to examine how participating in a community service activity affected students’ place attachment and interests in community service. Two-hundred-and-nine university students participated in the study. Results confirmed the hypothesized model. Implications for enhancing student involvement in their communities and encouraging their development into responsible citizens were discussed.

From lost space to third place: The visitor's perspective

Although studies on place attachment in tourism have expanded greatly during the past decade, most have focused on nature-based settings, thereby neglecting the social dimension of place. The triadic relationship of activity involvement, place attachment, and visitor loyalty has received limited attention. In response, we investigated visitors' attachment to activities and settings within cultural creative districts (CCDs) in a manufacturing hub of China, with the aim to advance the theory of place attachment and elucidate geographic and psychological factors that can affect visitor experience. Results of an onsite questionnaire (n = 252) indicated that: 1) activity involvement positively affected place attachment; 2) attraction and social bonding were strong predictors of visitor loyalty. We identified a more effective way to implement CCDs as part of urban-regeneration strategies—namely, to become visitors' favourite third places, CCDs need to offer high-quality social encounters with a suitable mix of physical, cultural, and entertainment amenities.

Exploring the influence of perceived urban change on residents' place attachment

Significant changes in urban environments pose challenges for residents' well-being and individuals' affective bonds to places. Place attachment has been identified as an essential indicator for these person–place bonds. Surprisingly, place attachment has rarely been studied in its response to the perception of change. This study uses data of N = 746 residents from a postal survey to explore the influence of perceived changes in the urban environment on residents' place attachments in Zurich, Switzerland.The study found significant relations between urban change and place attachment. When change in the urban environment was perceived as an attractive upgrade and as (still) familiar, it was positively associated with place attachment. Despite its limitations (e.g., the cross-sectional design), the study indicates that urban design, at least indirectly, can influence residents' relatedness to places. We suggest that dynamic aspects of environmental change need to be articulated more explicitly in place attachment theory.

Residential mobility, urban preference, and human settlement: A South Korean case study

Considering the theory of place attachment, we examine the relationship between residential mobility preference and socio-demographic characteristics, social ties, and environmental perceptions. Based on the application of this western theory to a different national and community-level context, social and economic factors that contribute to such mobility preference are considered. Categorical and multilevel models are employed using cross-sectional census and survey-based data collected from residents in seven South Korean cities. Economic condition, degree of education, transportation elements, social ties, environmental perception, and place-based characteristics were found to contribute to residential mobility preference.

Place Rootedness Suggesting the Loss and Survival of Historical Public Spaces

Place meaning was created by people throughout their gradual experience of the place. Some will have deep and meaningful while some are pale and meaningless. Place meaning has an intertwined relationship with place attachment, where both involve diverse and distinct physical properties and social attributes. This study aims to decode place rootedness as a salient dimension in the theory of place attachment. It seeks to search for a meaning of historical public space in two historical cities in Malaysia. Two historical public spaces with different fate and state are chosen as case study area. Seventy five residents were interviewed on their perceptual responses toward the survival of Padang Kota Lama and the loss of Padang Pahlawan. Results show that both groups discuss the sense of rootedness toward the public space in a very positive term. They evaluate its distinct characteristics in term of long engagement, historical events, and place for social interaction and important moment they had during childhood days. A persistent and deeply-felt concern expressed by all participants of Padang Pahlawan is their regret that it could not enjoyed and preserved as it should be. The finding from the survey also reveals that sense of rootedness is highly conceded with the sense of pride and fear of losing the historical public space which is developed through its high historical values and uniqueness. The study concludes that both public spaces constitute an important aspect of residents’ place identity and belongingness, which enable them to simultaneously remain connected to it.

Predicting residents' pro-environmental behaviors at tourist sites: The role of awareness of disaster's consequences, values, and place attachment

This research focuses on local residents' self-reported pro-environmental behaviors in the Great Jiuzhai Tourism Area, China. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether residents' awareness of disaster's consequences, values and place attachment affect their pro-environmental behaviors based on value-belief-norm theory and theory of place attachment. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to confirm the fitness of the collected data for the model. This research concludes that residents' awareness of disaster's consequences, values and place attachment impact their pro-environmental behaviors positively. It reveals that altruistic values are a more powerful predictor of pro-environmental behaviors compared with egoistic values. Place attachment has a stronger impact on pro-environmental behaviors than the awareness of disaster's consequences and values. Several practical implications were derived from the research findings, which contributes to the policy of tourism management in general and environment management in particular outside the field of tourism sites.

Towards a better understanding of the relationships between tourism involvement and place attachment: evidence from rural tourism destinations in China

Involvement theory and place attachment theory have been widely applied to the research of tourism products. However, the two theories were analysed separately, which limited our understanding of product development in travel and tourism. By integrating perspectives from both involvement theory and place attachment theory, this paper investigated three rural tourism destinations in Guangzhou, China. Results showed that tourists’ involvement in rural tourism had different levels of influences on place attachment. The research advanced tourism product development theories by providing a better understanding of the relationships between tourism involvement and place attachment. Practically, the research provided implications for tourism destinations and marketers in rural tourism product development.

Exploring Civic Engagement Through Seniors' Good Citizenship Behavior Within Clubs

The argument for civic engagement is that it enables individuals to feel empowered and shapes their political and social attitudes which are attributes that promote individuals to be better citizens. This study focuses on senior citizens, and we use the place-attachment theory to better understand the good citizenship behavior of seniors within clubs, and we further explore how this behavior affects their civic engagement. The findings provide insights into seniors' civic engagement within the confines of clubs. As a result of these findings, we go on to suggest a framework for understanding the behavior of civic engagement. Our model of seniors' civic engagement in clubs provides greater insights for academics and policy makers on the sources and physical places that can foster communities to come together for shared interaction and cohesion.

Changing the Conversation about Climate Change: A Theoretical Framework for Place-Based Climate Change Engagement

In this paper we present and test a theoretical framework for place-based climate change engagement. The framework is based on principles from place attachment theory, place-based education, free-choice learning, and norm activation theory. The framework, which we empirically validate here, demonstrates the power of engaging citizens in action-based learning at physical, material places, which are also symbolic sites for inspiring political action and learning about climate change impacts. Research has shown that climate change will resonate with diverse audiences when: (1) it is situated in cultural values and beliefs, (2) it is meaningful to that audience, and (3) it empowers specific action. We use data collected at 16 national parks and wildlife refuges in the USA; all of which are experiencing the impacts of climate change and struggling to develop climate change communication and outreach activities for their visitors and local communities. Thus, this framework and the empirical validation presented are the result of triangulating quantitative survey data (n = 4,181) and qualitative interviews (n = 359) to argue for the unparalleled potential for America's parks and refuges to inspire civic engagement in climate change through place-based communication.

Review of Place Attachment: Advances in Theory, Methods and Applications (Edited by Lynne Manzo and Patrick Devine-Wright)

“Place Attachment: Advances in Theory, Methods and Applications” provides an eloquent overview of contemporary advancement in place attachment theory, methods and applications and is a very useful resource for graduate students and senior scholars of ‘sense of place’ research. One of the main strengths of the book is that it draws together different, and sometimes conflicting, understandings of place attachment, and also moves beyond simplistic qualitative vs. quantitative discussions. However, it does not provide a coherent framework for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to understanding people-place connections which may challenge those academics or practitioners new to the place attachment literature. Further, little guidance is provided in the applications section about the key question of “how does one manage for place attachment?”.

A Discussion of Underlying Theories Explaining the Spillover of Environmentally Friendly Behavior Phenomenon

This conceptual paper attempts to established theories of human behavior in explaining the process or stages of the pro-environmental behavior spillover phenomenon. The first stage is the formation of attitude (environmental concern) and behavior during a person's involvements at workplace, explained by The Social Identity Theory and Place Attachment Theory. The second stage is where he/she feels the need to maintain behaviors consistent with the acquired attitude and norms, even while outside the workplace or at home, explained by the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. The last stage is where the person performs environmentally friendly behavior as a responsible member of the community.

From Space to Place: Predicting Users' Intentions to Return to Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds have received considerable attention as platforms for entertainment, education, and commerce. But organizations are experiencing failures in their early attempts to lure customers, employees, or partners into these worlds. Among the more grievous problems is the inability to attract users back into a virtual environment. In this study, we propose and test a model to predict users' intentions to return to a virtual world. Our model is based on the idea that users intend to return to a virtual world having conceived of it as a in which they have had meaningful experiences. We rely on the interactionist theory of place attachment to explain the links among the constructs of our model. Our model is tested via a lab experiment. We find that users' intentions to return to a virtual world is determined by a state of deep involvement (termed cognitive absorption) that users experience as they perform an activity and tend to lose track of time. In turn, cognitive absorption is determined by users' awareness of whom they interact with and how they interact within a virtual world, what they interact about, and where, in a virtual sense, such interaction occurs. Our work contributes to theory in the following ways: it identifies state predictors of cognitive absorption, it conceives of virtual worlds in such a way as to account for users' experiences through the notion of place, and it explains how the properties of a virtual world contribute to users' awareness.

Towards a developmental theory of place attachment

Place theory offers no explanation of the developmental processes by which place attachment arises. Drawing on recent findings in human attachment theory, this study offers a developmental model of the process by which place attachment emerges from a childhood place experience. A pattern of positively affected experiences of place in childhood are generalised into an unconscious internal working model of place which manifests subjectively as a long-term positively affected bond to place known as place attachment. Qualitative analysis of adult remembrance of childhood place experience provides support for this model and finds important parallels in the developmental processes underpinning place attachment and human attachment as well as some differences.

Elements of a Theory of Place Attachment and Socio-Territorial Belonging

The aim of this paper is to furnish elements both theoretical and empirical useful for the formulation of a theory of place attachment and socio-territorial belonging, two dimensions that are analytically distinct but empirically co-present and interrelated. After delineating a frame of reference which accounts for the distinction and interrelation between place attachment and socio-territorial belonging, the structure of social belonging, of socio-territorial belonging and its relations with other components of human action, and of dynamics of socio-territorial belonging, consideration is made of results from surveys conducted in diverse geographical and social contexts, comparing them with those of surveys carried out in Italy in recent years (1985–2000).

Attachment Theory, Psychoanalysis, Personality Development, and Psychopathology

Blatt and Levy place attachment theory and research in a broad theoretical matrix by considering the relationship of attachment patterns to personality development and to different types of psychopathology in adults. Thus Blatt and Levy construct conceptual bridges between the two configurations of personality development and psychopathology that Blatt and colleagues have developed over the past quarter century (e.g., Behrends and Blatt, 1985; Blatt, 1974, 1995; Blatt and Behrends, 1987; Blatt and Blass, 1990, 1996; Blatt and Shichman, 1983) and attachment theory and research. Blatt and Levy identify a polarity that is central to attachment theory and research, the polarity of attachment and separation, and they note that this polarity has also been central in much of classic psychoanalytic theory (e.g., Freud, 1930; Loewald, 1962). This polarity is expressed in attachment theory and research in the differences between avoidant and anxious-preoccupied insecure attachment patterns as well in the distinction between two types of disorganized attachment, helpless-withdrawn and negative intrusive, identified by Lyons-Ruth (1999, 2001). This polarity of attachment and separation, or relatedness and self-definition is also fundamental to personality development that occurs in the hierarchical dialectic transaction of two basic developmental lines—interpersonal relatedness and self-definition (Blatt and Blass, 1990, 1996). This polarity is also inherent in the conception of two fundamental configurations of psychopathology—anaclitic psychopathology, the dependent (or infantile) and hysterical personality disorders—that are preoccupied with issues of interpersonal relatedness, and introjective psychopathology, the paranoid, obsessive-compulsive and depressive personality disorders, in which issues of self-definition and self-worth are dominant (Blatt, 1974, 1995; Blatt and Shichman, 1983). Thus, the identification of this fundamental polarity provides the basis for establishing links between attachment patterns, personality development, and adult psychopathology. Blatt and Levy also attempt to integrate psychoanalytic concepts of the representational world (e.g., Sandler and Rosenblatt, 1965)—the development of concepts of self and significant others—with the internal working models (IWMs) of attachment relationships. This integration enabled Blatt and Levy to bring a fuller developmental perspective to the IWMs of attachment theory and to note that, based on differences in the content and structural organization of the IWMs or mental representation of self and significant others, several developmental levels can be identified in both avoidant and anxious preoccupied attachment. These developmental levels within each attachment style also identifies less and more adaptive forms of both types of insecure attachment. Thus, the integration of the psychoanalytic concepts of mental representation with concepts of the IWM of attachment theory and research enables Blatt and Levy to create a fuller developmental perspective in the study of insecure attachment patterns.