A test of the theory of perceived quality of recreation environments conducted with visitors to the Lyndon B. Johnson State and National Historical Parks

Abstract

This research addresses the understanding of park visitors' perceptions of and satisfactions with a historical park resource. Iso-Ahola's original multiplicative-ratio model of the theory of perceived quality of recreation environments (PQRE) was operationalized using both observed and expected environmental and psychological kinds of user perceptions. Four other alternative PQRE formulations were also constructed and tested: three based upon discrepancy theory, and one formulation in which all the components of the model were multiplied together. A measure of users' interest was also developed and incorporated into each model. All models and their component parts were tested for predictive validity with two future intended behavior variables: likelihood of return visit, and willingness to make a reservation. The stability of the models for quality assessment was also tested with several socio-demographic variables. All analyses were performed using data collected from a random sample of historical park visitors. The original PQRE model and three of the other models tested were significantly associated with both future intended behavior variables, and one other model was associated with only the likelihood of a return visit variable. The multiplicative model produced the expected positive association with the future intended behavior variables and the other models produced unexpected negative associations. The multiplicative model was also associated with more socio-demographic variables than any of the other models. The element that measured users' interest also produced statistically significant associations, but primarily when incorporated with the multiplicative model. These results seem to indicate that a multiplicative PQRE model is apparently better than the other models tested for prediction of future behavioral intentions of historical park visitors. Results from several discriminant analyses seems to indicate that using the individual PQRE components in a multi-variate function may give better prediction of future intended behavior than when these components are combined into a single PQRE index. Results of the discriminant classification analysis are somewhat inconclusive, and future studies should investigate this further. PQRE assessment theory should also be tested in other outdoor recreation settings.