The Mediation Effect of Outdoor Recreation Participation on Environmental Attitude-Behavior Correspondence

Outdoor recreation participation has increased over the past decades and is projected for further growth. Given the increase, it is important to assess recreationists' environmental values, activity style, general, and site-specific attitudes and behaviors to promote environmental stewardship, and to develop effective strategies in natural resource management and public policy. This study explored recreationists' environmental attitude-behavior relationship and the impact of outdoor recreation activity orientation (as a mediator variable) on attitude-behavior correspondence. Overall, attitudes exhibited stronger direct relationships with behaviors, when compared to the effect of participation on behaviors. The influence of activity participation on attitude-behavior correspondence was not significantly demonstrative. The association between participation in outdoor recreation and environmentalism is complex, and there is a need for additional research to better understand the relationship.