The Role of Possessions and Attachment：In Constructing the Meaning of Travel Souvenirs from University Student Perspectives

• Main Authors: Yao-Yu Yang, 楊曜宇
• Other Authors: Chih-Liang Chao
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/32414229881235016339

碩士 === 靜宜大學 === 觀光事業學系研究所 === 99 === 【Abstract】 Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton（1981） had discuss about the category and meaning of the object of house-use in《the meaning of things》, it was the origin research about the theory of possession and self-concept. The meaning of object was depended on the condition of different users, like different experience, timing, and process when use the objects （Kampter, 1989, 1991）. James (1980) had bring up the views from the biological psychology that the owner may bring some characteristics, like non-replace and non- abandon by different object, place, experience and people. Belk (1992) named that view of attachment, and also extend the other theory like place attachment, possession attachment and product attachment. Gordon（1986）directed physical presence helps locate, define, and freeze in time a fleeting, transitory experience, and bring back into ordinary experience something of the quality of an extraordinary experience. The acquisition of souvenirs is not just the collection of objects, but of memories and, by extension, the experiences that provide those memories（Smith and Reid, 1994）. Much of results has established two meaning, symbolic and functional meaning, would been produce after experiencing the possession or objects.（Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton, 1981;Belk, 1992;Prentice, 1987;Wallendorf and Arnould, 1988）. The questionnaires have been delivered to 400 students from four universities located in central of Taiwan. The main research questions were focused on the meaning from the specific travel souvenir toward the owner and the relationship between possession and attachment toward the place. The results found that the constructs from 「Self-expressive and achievement」 and 「Status and Spiritual」 in symbolic meaning of possession have positive and significant effects toward possession attachment and place attachment. Future application and implication have been discussed. According to the result in this research, there are three conclusions: (A) the research theory: the theory of attachment has had on the stage of development, in this study we suggest the other researchers may take futher research on the object meaning from different type of possession and the use of the meaning on different fields.(B) the research object: the research of possession was based on house-use, like the objects,palce and people in home; to the futher research, may foucus on the mementos of the people who had homesick.(C) the methodology:the futher reseacher may joint the transition of time to be the research variable. From the research hsa found that the meaning of possession would effect the palce attachemt by possession attachment, and not allover the objects had the symbolic meaning, also the same object had different symbolic meaning on each one. Baker, Kleine, & Bowen (2004) also agree the relationship between place attachment and the personal experience, and personal experience include the familiar region, abjects. So that, it is worth to continue to make further sttudy on whether different visitors visited same place, and to by the same souvenir would have the same type of attachment.