The Role of Perception in the Recreation Experience: A Review and Discussion

AbstractHuman satisfaction is becoming increasingly common as a goal of planning in many different contexts. Terms such as perception and activity, time, or place preference appear consistently in the literature on outdoor recreation; and yet only rarely is the precise meaning of such terms spelled out in any kind of detail.Clawson's five-stage model of the recreation experience is used as a framework for a review and discussion of a number of selected studies from various social science disciplines which have focused on the attitudes and behavior of the individual recreationist or small group.Emphasis is placed on work that is of relevance in the study of spatial behavior. In particular, attention is focused on the various goals inherent in recreation behavior, the "images" presented by outdoor recreation sites, the logic used by the recreationist in choosing a site, and the factors influencing the distance traveled for recreation.Some of the measurement problems are noted, and the need for a much stronger research emphasis on the individual recreationist's decision-making process is urged.KEYWORDS: PerceptionPreferenceSatisfactionRecreationTravelDecision MakingRecreational BehaviorMeasurementPlanning