The role of satisfaction and emotional response in the choice mechanisms of suburban natural-areas users.

Lopez-Mosquera, N; Sanchez, M

The role of satisfaction and emotional response in the choice mechanisms of suburban natural-areas users.

Lopez-Mosquera, N Sanchez, M

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Environ Manage, 2012, 49 (1), pp. 174 - 191
Issue Date:: 2012-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Lopez-Mosquera, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sanchez, M	en_US
dc.date.available	2011-09-10	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Environ Manage, 2012, 49 (1), pp. 174 - 191	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/15943
dc.description.abstract	The unique observations and experiences of users of suburban natural areas lead them to perceive their surroundings in a manner associated with their personal values. It follows that every individual has a unique cognitive decision-making structure. This paper examines users' affective and cognitive evaluation of a particular suburban natural area by applying the means-end chain method to reveal the cognitive mechanism by which users link the attributes and benefits of an environmental public good with their own personal values. Analysis of a survey conducted of visitors to a Spanish suburban natural area (park) reveals the main attributes to be the opportunity to practice sports and proximity of the park and the main potential benefits to be the improvement of physical and psychological well-being. The desired personal values include fun, quality of life and self-fulfillment at the individual level and improved social relationships at the collective level. The paper also tests for cross-group, cognitive-structure differences in visitor groups, segmented by level of satisfaction and reported range of emotions, and finds that perceived physical and psychological health improvements and individual and social awareness increase with higher levels of satisfaction and emotional response. Therefore, the recommendations for natural area management suggested by these findings include enhancing the scenic beauty and peacefulness of suburban natural areas in order to improve the affective state of visitors because this could contribute to reducing social costs (including health care) within the area of influence of the natural area.	en_US
dc.language	eng	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Environ Manage	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00267-011-9753-x	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Personal Satisfaction	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Perception	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Decision Making	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Environment	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Conservation of Natural Resources	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Recreation	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Spain	en_US
dc.title	The role of satisfaction and emotional response in the choice mechanisms of suburban natural-areas users.	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	49	en_US
utslib.location.activity	United States	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	49	en_US

Abstract:

The unique observations and experiences of users of suburban natural areas lead them to perceive their surroundings in a manner associated with their personal values. It follows that every individual has a unique cognitive decision-making structure. This paper examines users' affective and cognitive evaluation of a particular suburban natural area by applying the means-end chain method to reveal the cognitive mechanism by which users link the attributes and benefits of an environmental public good with their own personal values. Analysis of a survey conducted of visitors to a Spanish suburban natural area (park) reveals the main attributes to be the opportunity to practice sports and proximity of the park and the main potential benefits to be the improvement of physical and psychological well-being. The desired personal values include fun, quality of life and self-fulfillment at the individual level and improved social relationships at the collective level. The paper also tests for cross-group, cognitive-structure differences in visitor groups, segmented by level of satisfaction and reported range of emotions, and finds that perceived physical and psychological health improvements and individual and social awareness increase with higher levels of satisfaction and emotional response. Therefore, the recommendations for natural area management suggested by these findings include enhancing the scenic beauty and peacefulness of suburban natural areas in order to improve the affective state of visitors because this could contribute to reducing social costs (including health care) within the area of influence of the natural area.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/15943