An Exploration of Gender and Nationality Differences in Motivations and Levels of Specialization in SCUBA Diving

• Main Authors: LINDA ANDY, 李曉玲
• Other Authors: Lee Su-Hsin
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/13556122342597311343

碩士 === 逢甲大學 === 景觀與遊憩研究所 === 97 === Abstract This thesis examines gender and nationality differences in motivations and level of specialization in SCUBA diving, and how levels of specialization of divers will affect on their motivation to dive at other country. In this study, descriptive analysis was used to examine the characteristics of divers’ motivations, level of specialization and diver purpose to go abroad. Factor Analysis was applied regarding their motivations to dive resulting five factors: achievement, adventure, social, learn, and experiential. Meanwhile, for their motivation to dive at other country or to go aboard resulting four factors: tourism experience, great dive environment, dive experience, and companionship. Individuals’ level of specialization was measured through cluster analysis which resulting three levels of specializations (low, medium and high) in SCUBA diving. Data were colleted from divers who are a members or non-member of diving clubs, at the dive sites around Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. Those three countries selected because of their environment differences. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine which specialization levels are associated to dive motivations and which specialization level of diver will effects on their motivations to dive at other country. The result of this study verified that males and females motivations in SCUBA diving were diverse. Taiwan male divers placed more importance in Achievement, while Malaysia female divers more preferred in social motivation, and Western female positioned learn motivation more importance than other motivations. The levels of specialization showed differences by gender and nationality; for both low and medium level of specialization, female has highest percentage compared to male, but for high level of specialization, male has higher percentage compared to the female. The result for nationalities in specialization levels, Taiwan has higher percentage for low level of specialization, while medium level of specialization Western stands for the highest percentage, and for high level of specialization, Singapore places in number one. The association of motivations and specialization levels, high level specialization associated to experiential and learn motivations. Medium level specialization diver motivated to dive at other country for companionship while with high level specialization motivated to dive at other country for gain more dive experience. Based on the study’s findings, recommendations for future research were suggested to help resource management and tourism professionals to facilitate dive sites that more suitable for basic level of SCUBA diving and for more specialized divers in this activity. Keywords: Gender, Nationality, SCUBA diving, Motivation, Specialization