Abstract
Modeling outdoor recreation participation has been conducted since the early 1960s, with limited explanatory power of the models used. A review of the literature indicates that one promising area of research is the "Personal Community Hypothesis" as applied to recreation behavior. This hypothesis indicates that one's social surroundings influence his recreation participation decisions. Proposed components of this hypothesis are the elemental, socialization and co-participant dimensions of one's social influences. This dissertation explored potential aspects of the PCH which may influence participation in camping, especially the influence of one's co-participant group, using data from the Forest Service component of the Public Area Recreation Visitor Survey. Both choice of camping style and duration of the camping experience were examined. Results identify several aspects of one's personal community which influence camping behavior, including age and education of the individual and co-participant group members. However, the predictive power of the models developed was limited.
Hartmann, Lawrence A. (1988). An exploratory analysis of the personal community hypothesis as a determinant of camping participation. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -794021.