The Social Group Variable in Recreation Participation Studies

Abstract

An alternative to only using descriptive socioeconomic/demographic variables to explain participation is to consider how social interaction patterns among participants occur. The social groups with whom people interact are suggested as relevant variables for explaining the recreation activity selection process. This hypothesis is evaluated with two specifications of the dependent variable, frequency of participation, and high/low participation. Data from a statewide study on outdoor recreation demand were obtained, and multiple regression analysis was used to compare the differences between socioeconomic/demographic variables and the social group variable for explaining participation. Regression equations were run for both specifications of the dependent variable. When the social group variable is combined with age and sex of a participant, sharp increases in the multiple R occur for the straight frequency specification of participation. However, when the dependent variable is high/low participation, the effectiveness of the social group decreases significantly. If an operational definition of participation is specified, the social group offers promising lines of research for social interaction analysis.