Appraisal of and response to social conditions in the great gulf wilderness: relationships among perceived crowding, rationalization, product shift, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions

Abstract

Purposes were to describe on-site social carrying capacity from the users' perspectives, provide management applications, and refi ne constructs of product shift and rationalization used by visitors as coping responses to crowding. Data were gathered using on-site exit surveys of hikers in the Great Gulf Wilderness and analyzed with descriptive statistics, principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Social carrying capacity did not appear to have been exceeded based on the users' perspectives. However, coping was employed by 50 percent of the population. An acceptable model of hiker appraisal and coping response was identified. A discussion of management application and future direction for redefining product shift and rationalization within a context are offered.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 2006 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Citation

Schuster, Rudy M.; Cole, David; Hall, Troy; Baker, Jennifer; Oreskes, Rebecca. 2007. Appraisal of and response to social conditions in the great gulf wilderness: relationships among perceived crowding, rationalization, product shift, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions. In: Burns, R.; Robinson, K., comps. Proceedings of the 2006 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium; 2006 April 9-11; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-14. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 488-496.