Leisure Studies Commons^™

Climbers’ Risk Perceptions Of Erosion From Flooding At Carderock Recreation Area, Chandler J. Berry

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Through increased temperature, precipitation, frequency of extreme weather, flooding, drought, and fire, climate change will alter where and how people can recreate. Extant research illustrates the effects of climate change on a variety of outdoor recreation activities; however, little research has been completed on the effects of climate change on rock climbing outside of the alpine environment. One such impact found at Carderock Recreation Area is riverine flooding and erosion. This study used a quantitative survey research design to understand how risk perceptions of erosion from flooding are affected by place attachment and the past use history of rock climbers …

An Exploration Of Different Motivations Between Stakeholders And Visitors Of The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, Colin Mccormack

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Visitors have different motivations associated with parks and protected areas, and the people who run those areas are also different from visitors due to their unique positions. This is especially true for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (POHE), where stakeholders – ranging from park managers and Department of Transportation planners to volunteers of nonprofits and historical societies collaborate to manage sections along the 822-mile extent of the trail. Building on previous work itemizing the diversity of motivations for visitation to parks and protected areas, this study investigates similarities and differences in stakeholder and manager Recreation Experience Preferences by clustering …

Interpreting Summer In The Parks In The National Capital Area Of The National Park Service, Brendan J. Kane

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Washington D.C. has witnessed many watershed events throughout the history of the United States of America. One of these events was the Summer in the Parks (SITP) program organized by the National Park Service (NPS) from 1968-1976. Summer in the Parks was a community-based series of events including concerts, park visits, and exhibitions designed to quell racial tensions and promote park usage. Researchers have begun chronicling SITP, but have yet to explore how the story of SITP is conveyed by park interpreters to visitors and subsequently what themes are shared to inform public understanding of the historic relationship between NPS …

Air Pollution And Outdoor Recreation On Urban Trails: A Case Study Of The Elizabeth River Trail, Norfolk, Va, James E. Mccann

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Poor air quality represents a significant health risk, especially when recreating outdoors in urban parks and trails. It is important for managers of urban parks and trail to understand how potential visitors’ perceptions of air quality and health risks and benefits may affect visitation. The goal of this study was to investigate temporal variance in air quality along the Elizabeth River Trail, an urban trail located in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as trail users’ perceptions of air quality and of health benefits in relation to trail use. The researcher rode a bicycle with a Dylos DC1700-PM mobile air quality monitor …

Medical Specialty Camps: A Holistic Approach To Assist In The Management Of Diabetes, Takeyra Monique Collins

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

From toddlers to adolescents, poor medical regimen and adherence occurs as youth face adversities caused by type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). This inquiry-based research sought to explore the process of promoting resilience to attain personal diabetes management through outcome-focused programming. This dissertation was structured in a three-paper format to highlight three sectors of a medical specialty camp to identify the significance of building resilience among youth with T1DM, incorporating family support, and providing service-learning opportunities for students. The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts associated with campers’ resilience from pre- to post-camp based on their participation in …

Indicators And Thresholds For Black Bear Viewing Proximity Preferences At Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, Meghan M. Roberts

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Human-wildlife interactions in protected areas are complex, and visitor preference for close proximity to wildlife continues to challenge managers. Two indicators and thresholds questionnaires with varying photo panel orders were distributed to a total of 302 visitors at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina to examine the acceptability of various distances and management actions for black bear viewing. Results show average minimum acceptability for black bear viewing is 38 yards for a single bear and 38 - 44 yards for a black bear sow with two cubs; photo panel viewing order influenced participants’ evaluations, illustrating the potential for …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Between Sense Of Community, Park Benefits, And Neighborhood Park Use, Kimberly Tilford Centers

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between park use by residents that live within a ¼ to ½ mile radius of their neighborhood park, perceived benefits from neighborhood parks, and neighborhood sense of community (SOC) in three Norfolk, Virginia neighborhoods. The neighborhoods included Titustown, Colonial Place, and Edgewater. There is a lack of research regarding the relationship between neighborhood parks, perceived recreation benefits from neighborhood parks, and their relationship to neighborhood SOC (Gómez, Baur, Hill, & Georgiev, 2015). Participants completed a questionnaire that included the Sense of Community Index-2 (SCI-2), demographic questions, park usage questions, and …

Dog Parks: An Application Of Place Attachment Theory, Andrew Pariser

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Despite their increasing popularity, dog parks have been subjected to little research. The purpose of this study was to determine if place attachment and its generally recognized sub-components of place dependence and place identity apply to dog parks. Survey respondents were given an on-site questionnaire at a Virginia and at a Florida dog park. Respondents answered questions similar to those used in previous studies of place attachment at other recreational facilities. There was a significant correlation between the constructs of place dependence and place identity and dog park usage. The combined construct of place attachment showed the highest correlation. Regression …

Motivations And Outcomes: A Benefits Based Study Of Hiking On The Appalachian Trail, Barbara Freidt

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is a national resource that may be useful in addressing American society's current concern with increases of chronic illnesses and disabilities directly related to physical inactivity. The purpose of the current study was to examine the benefits and outcomes associated with hiking on the A.T. An internet-based survey was used to gather information from A.T. hikers. The data revealed that a relationship exists between attributes (ATTRIB), consequences (CONSEQ) and outcomes (OUTC), thus, supporting the means-end theory constructs. Internal and external validity analyses and reliability analyses showed the Benefits of Hiking Scale (BHS) to be an accurate …

Leisure Constraints Ethnic Factors And Recreation Participation: A Case Study Of The Latino Population In Manassas Park, Virginia, Gregory T. Jones

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study the leisure constraints and ethnic factors that affect recreational use among Latinos in the City of Manassas Park. Respondents were mailed a questionnaire to the City of Manassas Park. The questionnaires were composed of questions pertaining to acculturation, values, discrimination, subcultural identity, perceived recreation benefits, constraints to park use, constraints to desired leisure activities, socio-economic status, program usage, and park usage. Confirmatory factor analyses identified six factors for recreational use: acculturation, discrimination, subcultural identity, derived benefits, park use constraints, and individual activity constraints. A t-test confirmed that there was no difference …

An Exploration Of The Influence Of Recreation Benefits And Use Of Public Parks: The Impact On Sense Of Community In Neighborhoods, Svetoslav Dimov Gueorguiev

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to explore what influence public parks have on the sense of community of the residents living near parks. Respondents were chosen from within the service area (0.5 miles) of five parks in Norfolk, VA They rated their park experiences and answered sense of community and demographic questions. Confirmatory factor analysis identified five different dimensions in measuring the SOC levels. Correlation and regression analyses identified the extent of the influence that recreation participation had on sense of community of residents. Results confirmed that recreation use of parks positively influences SOC. Due to the existence …

The Effectiveness Of A Four-Hour Challenge Course On Leadership Efficacy And Work Efficacy, Theresa J. Odella

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Challenge courses have become increasingly popular in recent years. Benefits examined and researched through the use of challenge courses include increased self-esteem, group cohesion, leadership skills, and general self-efficacy (Hart & Silka, 1994; Hatch & McCarthy, 2005; Moseley, Reinke, & Bookout, 2002; Paxton, 2000; Propst & Koesler, 1998). Many groups are turning to half-day challenge courses due to time and financial constraints. Few studies have quantified the benefits of a half-day course. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of participation in a four-hour challenge course on leadership efficacy and work efficacy of college students. A survey …

Social Trust Benefits And Sense Of Identification At Dog Parks: An Exploratory Study, Kelly E. Price

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Dog parks are growing in popularity across the United States, yet are under researched in the field of recreation and leisure. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state of research on dog parks, while also exploring the relationships that exist between perceived benefits, social trust, identification with people and place, and dog park usage. On-site surveys were collected from dog park users at two Hampton Roads dog parks between Fall 2003 and Fall 2005. Statistical analyses were run on the data to determine if there was a difference in park usage patterns between various demographic groups …

Effects Of A Wilderness Orientation Program On Student Expectations Of Adjustment To College, Emily Anne Joyner

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Wilderness orientation programs are being used at some colleges and universities in the United States to supplement traditional orientation programs for incoming first-year students. Over the past twenty years, the use of wilderness orientation programs has increased significantly; however, little empirical evidence exists to evaluate the benefits of wilderness orientation programs.

This study was designed to examine how one wilderness orientation program affects expectations for adjustment to college among first-year student participants. An adaptation of Baker and Siryk's (1989) Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire was used to evaluate adjustment expectations. This questionnaire includes four dimensions of student adjustment: academic adjustment, …