Demographic Correlates of Landscape Preference

Between-subject differences in age, gender and residential experience were found to contribute significantly to differences in landscape preference ratings. When 283 subjects rated five vegetational biomes, preferences changed through the life cycle, with the highest preferences shown by young children and the lowest by elderly subjects; preference diverged in adolescence for males and females and for urban and rural residents. Preferences were highest for the most familiar biome. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that landscape preference is shaped by innate or evolutionarily determined factors. These findings suggest that the development of landscape preference is a cumulative process sensitive to socially differentiating factors. In the study of landscape preference it is necessary to identify both the physical aspects of the landscape as well as the social and demographic characteristics of the subjects in order to identify the sources of variation in preference.