Recreation Anglers’ Involvement and Information Sharing Behavior: Mediating Role of Psychological Ownership

Given the popularity of angling as a leisure activity in coastal countries, this study examined how different dimensions of anglers’ activity involvement (attraction, centrality, and self-expression) affect psychological ownership and influence information-sharing behavior. Data were collected from 424 active anglers at the Northern Breakwater of the Taichung Port Sea Fishing Demonstration Area in Taiwan using systematic sampling. The findings reveal that the three dimensions of activity involvement activate different motivational pathways toward information-sharing behavior: attraction operates primarily through direct enjoyment-driven sharing; centrality functions exclusively through psychological ownership; and self-expression operates through both direct and ownership-mediated routes. These findings are most applicable to regulated, place-based recreational fishing settings, offering managers actionable insights on channeling anglers’ general willingness to share toward governance-relevant content.