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Does higher place difficulty pbkp_redict increased attachment? The moderating role of identity

Abstract:

In a contribution conducted in the French Southern Alps, Hinojosa et al. (2016) suggested that place attachment is relatively higher where it is difficult to live. We examine whether this figure holds in other environments bringing insight on a likely general tenet. A study using comparable survey data in two different ecosystems of Ecuador (the mountains and the subtropics) reveals, indeed, that higher place difficulty pbkp_redicts increased attachment. Nevertheless, our results show that place difficulty is not significant when considered solely, that is, regardless of an additional element: place identity. In the Andean mountains, place attachment is found to be higher in more difficult areas only when place identity plays a role in individuals' views of their local community (their district). In the subtropical area of Intag, place difficulty is found to be a pbkp_redictor of attachment regardless of place identity.