The role of involvement and commitment in explaining intention to engage in birding trips

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: (a) to identify the relationship between involvement and commitment; (b) to identify those behavioral n-y--asures of involvement which best related to Laurent and Kapferer's (1985) and Zaichkowsky's (1985) social-psychological involvement measures, and measures of commitment; (c) to ascertain how well Laurent and Kapferer's (1985) scale, Zaichkowsky's (1985) scale, a set of behavioral measures, and commitment nimures explain intention to go on birding trips; (4) to conceptualize and test a model of the role of involvement and commitment in explaining intention to go on birding trips. Laurent and Kapferer's Pll (1985) and Zaichkowsky's IP (1985) for socialpsychological involvement and several behavioral measures of involvement (e.g., number of birding trips taken, identification ability, ownership of birding-related books and equipment, money spent on birding, and miles traveled) were used in explaining birders'involven-y--nt. Commitment was conceptualized in terrm of centrality and sidebets accrued through sustained participation. The results of factor analyses for Laurent and Kapferer's Pll, Zaichkowsky's IP, behavioral involvement scale, and commitment showed high reliability in this study. The Pll was found to have three dimensions: importance-pleasure, risk, and sign. One of these dimensions of the PII, the importance-pleasure dimension was strongly related to Zaichkowsky's EP, the five dimensions of behavioral involvement, and commitment. In tests of hypotheses for predicting birders' intention to go on birding trips next year, the three dimensions of the PII, the IP, and the five dimensions of behavioral involvement scale explained 14%, 6%, and 48% of the total variance, respectively. Results of multiple regression analyses for testing the composite model incorporating two social-psychological involvement scales, the five dimensions of behavioral involvement scale, and commitment, showed adjusted R2of .50. In the regression model, birding behavior in Texas was the most important predictor in explaining respondents' intention to go on birding trips next year. The risk dimension of the Pll, commitment, and birding behavior outside of Texas, were also significant contributors in predicting birders'intention to go on birding trips next year. These results suggested that behavioral indicators of involvement and commitment may be better predictors than socio-psychological involvement indicators in identifying an individual's intention to take birding trips in the future.