The development of a measurement method for place attachment and its verification with a housing satisfaction measure: A survey of university students about their homes

Abstract

This study seeks to identify a conceptual model of place attachment to a home environment, including the relationship between attachment and housing satisfaction. The measuring tools for place attachment to the home environment and housing satisfaction were obtained from preliminary studies. Between October and November of 2011, a questionnaire survey was conducted with students at 'C' University living independently from their family, with 301 useable responses collected. According to the confirmatory factor analysis results, the five sub-dimensional concepts of affective bonding, place identity, place dependence, rootedness, and home meaning were verified as valid to measure place attachment to the home environment. Place attachment to the home environment was also found to be related to housing satisfaction with an explanatory power of .62, with correlations between place attachment to the home environment and housing satisfaction.