Purism and Wilderness Campers

Abstract

The characteristics of a sample of wilderness users were examined by administering the Purism Scale to 540 campers in three provincial parks in Ontario, Canada. Factor analysis revealed that the scale consists primarily of four interdependent factors that characterize sets of wilderness attitudes related to (a) size of and distance to wilderness areas, (b) a minimum level of human interference in wilderness, (c) natural ecosystems, and (d) man-made infrastructure (construction) in wilderness areas. The internal consistency of the Purism Scale was tested using three split-half techniques. Based on these tests, it appears that the scale is a sound measure of the degree of purism in attitudes toward wilderness.