General attitudes and subjective norms as an indication of behavioral intentions of adolescent girls for selected backcountry camping experiences

Abstract

The research study used the theory of reasoned action with modifications to general attitude variables as a predictor of adolescent girls' behavior from their behavioral intention about participating in a backcountry camping experience. The results of the study indicated no significant difference of general attitude between the two groups in prediction of behavior from behavioral intention. The attitude formation from salient beliefs, however were more defined for the adolescent girls who had direct past experience with camping in a backcountry setting. The subjective norm although not as important in determining the behavioral intention for either group, indicated the strong family referent norm of "mom" as key to normative referents influences in the decision process. The latitude of rejection as an interaction variable with general attitude did not strengthen the correlation with behavioral intention for either group. The use of attitudes and subjective norms as measures of predicting behavior from behavioral intention did not follow previous studies' findings within the no past experience adolescent girl group of participating in a backcountry camping experience.