Browsing by Author "Aram Attarian, Committee Member"

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    A Comparison of Chattooga River Rafters and Kayakers and Their Effects on Each Other's Experience
    (2004-04-07) Massarelli, Erin A; Roger Moore, Committee Chair; Chrystos Siderelis, Committee Member; Aram Attarian, Committee Member
    The purpose of this study was to compare rafters and kayakers on the Chattooga River and their effects on each other's experience. Data was collected via a mail survey of individuals who used the Chattooga River and its corridor in 2002, including commercially guided boaters, self-guided boaters, and annual pass holders to fee-based parking areas. Based on their primary activity for their most recent visit, rafters and kayakers were isolated from the remainder of the sample for analysis. Participants' general characteristics and their Chattooga River trip histories were gleaned from the survey responses. Motivations for visiting were measured by asking participants to rate the importance of different motives provided in the survey. Rafter and kayaker effects on each other's experiences were assessed by asking participants to rate their increased or decreased enjoyment due to encounters with each other. Results revealed that the rafters and kayakers were distinctly different groups based on general characteristics, most recent trip characteristics, and trip history. Overall, the rafters appeared to be families on vacation trips down the river, whereas the kayakers were generally small groups of friends participating in a frequently engaged in activity. Differences between the rafters and kayakers were also revealed in the importance that they placed on the motivation statements. Finally, when assessing the effects that they had on each other?s experiences, the majority of encounters produced neutral effects. However, there was evidence of asymmetrical conflict felt by kayakers towards rafters. These findings suggest that differences in activity style, mode of experience, resource specificity, and perceived status could have affected the amount of conflict experienced by the kayakers. One way to reduce the occurrence of conflict among river users on the Chattooga River may be to familiarize members of each group with each other. One way to familiarize river users with one another is though education efforts that emphasize group similarities and promote tolerance for their differences.
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    Equestrians and How They Disperse along Plog's Allocentric/Psychocentric Continuum.
    (2010-01-29) Hardy, Ricky; Larry Gustke, Committee Chair; Gene Brothers, Committee Member; Aram Attarian, Committee Member; Michael Vasu, Committee Member
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    A Model for Deriving Likely Origin Markets for State Park Visitors.
    (2010-08-27) Page, Jonathan; Gene Brothers, Committee Chair; Aram Attarian, Committee Member; Chrys Siderelis, Committee Member
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    Toward an Understanding of Noncompliant Behavior in Outdoor Recreation: Linking the Theory of Planned Behavior to Off-Leash Dogs at William B. Umstead State Park.
    (2006-11-19) Nesbitt, Robert Keith; Roger L. Moore, Committee Member; Aram Attarian, Committee Member; Christos D. Siderelis, Committee Chair
    The present study used the theory of planned behavior to elicit attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control measures of dog walkers at William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. The theory states that all behaviors are performed as a result of behavioral intention mediated through the influence of attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. These three components are, in turn, influenced by beliefs, social pressure and perceived facilitation of the behavior. The three tenets of the theory of planned behavior were used to explain the propensity to engage in noncompliant behavior in a park setting—specifically, illegally walking a dog off-leash inside park boundaries. Measures of salient beliefs were accomplished by the addition of Gramann and Vander Stoep's (1986) six typologies of normative violations. Forty-eight percent of dog owners surveyed during the data collection period reported that they had allowed their dog off-leash inside park boundaries within the past 12 months. A combination of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were found to be significant determinants of allowing dogs to run off-leash inside the park. Consistent with previous research, attitude and perceived control influenced behavior more than the subjective norm. Likewise, salient beliefs were significantly linked to attitude, perceived control and subjective norm statements. Based upon this study's findings, the majority of off-leash incidents were classified as belonging to Gramann and Vander Stoep's "responsibility denial", "uninformed" and "willful violation" categories. Implications for management to curb noncompliant behavior are discussed in detail.