Robin Mittelstaedt

Exploring the Motivations of BASE Jumpers: Extreme Sport Enthusiasts

Little previous research has been conducted exploring the motivational factors that influence a persons desire to participate in extreme sports. The researchers used a means-end approach (e.g. semi-structured interviews) to explore motivations for participation in the extreme sport of BASE jumping. BASE jumping is the activity of parachuting from bridges, buildings, antennas, and cliffs, in which participants have been identified as voluntary-risk takers. The results indicated that BASE jumpers deliberately took risks as a means of becoming positively transformed, which was essential to their quality of life. The study findings hold important implications for researchers interested in further studies of extreme subcultures as well as practitioners interested in developing adventure tourism opportunities targeted toward extreme subcultures.

Assessing the Development of Environmental Virtue in 7th and 8th Grade Students in an Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound School.

This study attempted to assess the development of environmental virtue in 7th and 8th grade students in an Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB) school using an instrument developed for this study—the Childrens Environmental Virtue Scale (CEVS). Data for this study were obtained by administering the CEVS survey (pretest and posttest) to students in an ELOB school (n = 45) that included a 10-week expeditionary learning unit. The internal consistency of the survey instrument was determined using Cronbachs alpha reliability coefficients. Mean environmental virtue scores were compared using paired samples t-tests. Significant results indicated a decrease in the mean environmental virtue scores for students who participated in the expeditionary learning unit. Limitations of the study are presented.

The Intersection of Community and Place in an Outdoor Orientation Program

This study investigated outcomes of a college outdoor orientation program that utilized 3, 4, 5, and 12-day adventure based trips. Sense of community and sense of place were measured using a one-sample pre/post-test design (n = 118). Paired sample t-tests were implemented to explore differences and, in general, students reported significant changes following participation. Students demonstrated increases in the number of their friends, trusted individuals, and 6 of the 7 factorial components measuring sense of community and sense of place (p < .05). The importance of community and place is discussed, highlighting suggestions and implications for future consideration in outdoor orientation programming.

Measuring leisure in the 21st century: The strengths and limitations of three techniques

Abstract The strengths and limitations of three techniques for measuring leisure—the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Scale (PFL), an open‐ended interview, and experience sampling method (ESM)—were assessed in this investigation. Three profiles of leisure were developed using these techniques, and in a collaborative exit interview, each participant rated each profile on perceived accuracy. Each participant also rated the questions and items associated with each technique on how relevant they were to his/her leisure, and provided verbal explanations, as well. The open‐ended interview and the ESM results were perceived to be accurate to very accurate, while the PFL was rated as less than somewhat accurate.

Outdoor Recreation Self-Efficacy: Scale Development and Reliability

Outdoor Recreation Self-Efficacy: Scale Development and Reliability Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy holds much promise for understanding the value of participation in outdoor recreation. This study evaluated the factor structure and internal consistency of a new outdoor recreation self-efficacy measure. Factor analysis revealed two subscales; Enjoyment/Accomplishment (61.84%) and Skills/Competence (12.71%) accounting for 74.54% of the explained variance in outdoor recreation self-efficacy. Reliabilities for the Enjoyment / Accomplishment (α=.95) and Skills/Competence (α =.94) subscales, and 17item scale (α =.96) show a high degree of internal consistency. A significant relationship exists between ORSE scores and participation in outdoor recreation (r = .52; p < .001). Results indicated having fun and enjoying oneself during outdoor recreation activities contributed more to a woman’s self-efficacy than feeling skilled or competent, confirming Bandura’s thoughts about the nature of self-efficacy. Researchers can use this instrument with confidence; it provides a reliable and valid measure for assessing the self-efficacy of women who participate in outdoor recreation activities.