Toward a Structural Model of Challenge Experience in Adventure Recreation

Abstract

Perceiving challenge is an important aspect of adventure recreation. Yet few studies have considered the potential outcome of challenge perception among participants in adventure recreation. This study seeks to address this by establishing a comprehensive model of challenge perception in adventure recreation that additionally models the relationship between challenge and its outcome. A self-administered questionnaire is designed to collect empirical data from recreationists who engaged in scuba diving, high-altitude mountaineering, or white-water rafting in Taiwan. Using a structural equation modeling approach, the findings indicate that perception of challenge among recreationists has a positive impact on flow experience and, by extension, on satisfaction, and psychological well-being.

Keywords:

• challenge perception
• flow experience
• satisfaction
• psychological well-being
• adventure recreation