Alan R. Graefe

Social carrying capacity: An integration and synthesis of twenty years of research

Abstract This paper reviews research conducted over the past twenty years related to social carrying capacity. Pursuant to existing definitions, the scope of this review extends beyond most individual studies to include the broad range of variables which influence how people perceive quality in a recreation experience. Emphasis is placed on integrating this diverse literature within a conceptual framework which helps to explain the diversity and complexity inherent in visitors’ experience evaluations. This framework builds upon a basic understanding of recreationists’ motivations and identifies an interrelated set of impacts resulting from increasing use levels. The paper then summarizes results of previous studies regarding: (1) relationships between the various impact parameters and recreational use levels, and (2) individual, activity, and site factors affecting use/impact relationships. Implementation of social carrying capacity is also examined, with emphasis on integrating scientific information and...

Factors contributing to perceptions of recreational crowding

Abstract This paper examines perceptions of crowding in a river recreation setting, using an alternative to the conventional crowding measure and a diverse set of potential predictor variables that have not been examined concurrently in previous studies. Analysis focuses on differences between three groups of respondents: crowded floaters, whose enjoyment was reduced by encounters with other people; neutral floaters; and those floaters whose enjoyment was increased by the visitor density they encountered. Findings support some previous arguments that crowding is related more to visitors’ expectations, preferences, and previous experience than to actual or perceived encounter levels. Further, perceptions of crowding were found to be related to encounter expectations and preferences at specific river locations (e.g., at put‐in and rapids) and to perceptions of other aspects of trip quality.

Multiple determinants of satisfaction from a specific waterfowl hunting trip

Abstract This paper builds upon the multiple satisfaction approach to game management by evaluating the individual and combined effects of three basic dimensions—wildlife, human interaction, and nature/sport—on overall hunting satisfaction. In contrast to previous studies that focused on either hunting in general or deer hunting, this analysis was based on hunter evaluations of a specific waterfowl hunting trip. Results generally support the concept of multiple satisfactions, with a combination of wildlife, human interaction, and nature/sport variables accounting for 36% of the variance in satisfaction. Taken individually, nature/sport items explained more of the variation in satisfaction (R2 = .23) than either the wildlife (R2 = .08) or the human interaction variables (R2 = .14). Some discrepancies were noted between the findings presented here and those reported in previous investigations. For example, contrary to several earlier studies that found success to be an important determinant of satisfaction,...

Notes on the stability of the factor structure of leisure meanings.

Abstract This paper reports data concerning the stability of the factor structure of leisure meanings in the same recreational activity in two different geographic settings. Leisure meanings were conceptualized as a function of human needs and motivation. Data were obtained through surveys of river floaters in Dinosaur National Monument and Big Bend National Park. Summary findings include: (1) Recreationists did not tend to make fine distinctions between motive constructs; (2) some motivational dimensions were stable across the two study areas while others were not; (3) stability of motives appeared to be related to the specificity of the constructs involved, their meanings to recreationists, the importance recreationists attributed to the motives, and to situational differences of the two study areas; (4) factor structures in this study tend to support results of other studies using hierarchical clustering procedures to identify the structure of recreational motives.