An hermeneutic approach to studying the nature of wilderness experiences

The most prevalent approach to understanding recreation experiences in reso urce management has been a motivational research program that views satisfa ction as an appropriate indicator of experience quality. This research expl ores a different approach to studying the quality of recreation experiences . Rather than viewing recreation experiences as a linear sequence of events beginning with expectations and ending with outcomes that are then cogniti vely compared to determine experience quality, this alternative approach vi ews recreation as an emergent experience motivated by the not very well-def ined goal of acquiring stories that ultimately enrich one's life. Further, it assumes that the nature of human experience is best characterized by sit uated freedom in which the environment sets boundaries that constrain the n ature of the experience, but that within those boundaries recreationists ar e free to experience the world in unique and variable ways. Therefore this alternative approach seeks a more context specific description of the setti ng/experience relationship that is intended to complement more general mana gement frameworks (e.g., the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum) developed in conjunction with the motivational research program.